Long Time Coming
by iheartcoffee
Summary: When Jenny breezed back into Gibbs' life, she brought back hope into his dark world. Gibbs had lived in a dark abyss for a long time. Would he be able to win her trust again? Would true love triumph?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: NCIS is in no way owned by this author. **

* * *

**Prologue**

_Paris, late 1992_

Jenny had a goal to achieve. And for that, she had carefully laid down her plans. She wasn't supposed to fall in love. She wasn't supposed to fall in love with Gibbs. For him, she was willing to put those plans on hold. And now, there was something else. Those plans would have to wait. Jenny had done the test last week and was only coming to terms with it. Once the initial shock was over, she was ecstatic. She and Jethro had created this new life. He would be a doting dad and she would be the best mom ever. But first, she had to tell him. She was just looking for the perfect opportunity. Their op was over and they were both waiting for their new orders. They had these days to themselves. They went out and socialized, they made love and they had fun. But lately, Jethro appeared to be distracted, when she asked him about it, he shrugged it away.

"Jethro, is that you?" she called out when she heard the door open.

She went to check when there was no answer. It was him alright, looking even more distant and distracted than ever. No wonder he hadn't answered. It scared her to see him like this. She took a moment to study him. His dark hair were beginning to turn gray. She loved it. It made him look distinguished. Maybe in a few years he'd become a silver fox. Her silver fox. His electrifying blue eyes were just the cherry on the top. She hoped that their baby would inherit looks from his or her father. In fact she knew, she wanted a miniature version of Jethro.

"Jethro?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

He straightened and managed to produce a smile for her. But it didn't reach his blue eyes.

"I just received some distressing news, but it's nothing really", he said as he walked over to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked looping her arms around his neck.

The familiar scent of cherries hit his senses, it was what Jenny smelt like. Sunshine and cherries. He dipped his head to kiss her. That was his answer to most problems. Make love and make it go away, at least make it go away from Jenny's mind. This was heaven. She kissed him back. She parted her lips and touched her tongue lightly to his. He broke the kiss. "Talk about what?" he asked before taking her lips in a deep kiss again. She ran her hands in his hair. His hands roamed up and down her back. Jenny had forgotten the question.

Jenny figured that now was a good time as any to share her news. She was bursting with excitement and yet she was hesitant.

"Jethro?"

Jethro sensed the uncertainty in her voice. He had a premonition of what was to come.

"Jethro, I was late. I took a pregnancy test", she waited for his response. When there was none, she carried on, "it was positive. We're having a baby". There, the cat was out of the bag.

Still no response. When she looked at him, she saw a look that wasn't excitement, joy or delight.

He was angry. Angry with himself. Why was he not careful? How did he let this happen? But that was now a moot point. Jenny's pregnancy was a reality.

"When?" he asked.

Jenny relaxed a little. "I haven't seen a doctor, yet. But I think in about seven and a half months."

He was in deep trouble. He didn't know what to do. It was his own fault. There was Jenny, innocent and trusting Jenny. None of it was in his control. He had met Jenny over 5 months ago and had felt that some of the ice covering his heart melted. They had become lovers soon after when they were in Marseille. He knew what he was doing was wrong, Jenny would hate him for it, but he couldn't help it. He knew she was in love with him, and that made it even more unforgivable. He loved her too. But it would never be enough. He couldn't offer Jenny anything other than his support. Would she accept that? Or would she demand more? God knew, it was her right, especially now that she was carrying his child.

"Jen," he began. But then broke off. He couldn't find words.

He tried again. His failure to do so alerted Jenny. "You don't want the baby", she accused. She sounded hurt.

"No!" it came out as a shout, startling Jenny. He checked himself. "I want the baby. Don't think that I don't. It's just that things are complicated."

Jenny had a sick feeling. Married men used that ploy to get rid of their paramour. Is that what Jethro was? A married man? And she his mistress? The thought was repulsive to her. She prayed that she was wrong.

"Just say it, Jethro" she whispered.

"I cannot give you what you deserve." He paused. "I cannot marry you. But I will make sure that you and the baby are provided for."

She was shaken. "Why?" With that she drove the final nail in her coffin.

He looked at her. Indecision clouding his eyes. Then she saw it, the resolve to answer her.

"I'm married. I have been for ten years."

That broke her and she shattered into a million pieces. There was complete and utter silence. It made her sick to think that he belonged to another woman. Another woman had touched him, kissed him and had felt him move deep inside her. Then a thought occurred to her. It made her even sicker. She, Jenny, was the other woman. She had usurped someone else's right. She pitied his wife, the unsuspecting, innocent wife far more than she pitied herself for being a game for Jethro. In that minute she hated him. Hated him with everything in her. Jethro had always appeared to be a man of honor. But he had dishonored her. He had dishonored his vows to his wife. What kind of a person did that make him?

"Say something, Jen".

That shook Jenny out of her stupor. Her lips still buzzed from his kiss. She could still taste him. That made the fire of his betrayal burned bright.

"What is there to say, Jethro?" Her voice was calm. Too calm. It was indicative of the storm to come. "You cheated on your wife and I was the instrument. She wasn't here and you screwed me. You couldn't go long without sex, is that it?"

"Jen, it wasn't like that! I can explain –" he almost yelled.

"They all say that." She said. Again, her voice was calm.

She went back into the bedroom, pulled out a bag and began packing her belongings. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that he had followed her. It amazed her that he still had the audacity to explain himself.

"Jenny, listen to me" he pleaded.

"I have heard all that was needed. Now, get out and let me pack" she threw at him. He grabbed her wrist to make her listen. His hold was too strong and it hurt. She shook it off.

"I hate you, and I hate myself even more for being a gullible fool. Haven't you inflicted enough damage already? It's terrible as it is, and I have the misfortune of being pregnant by you. What am I going to do?" The last was more for her own benefit rather than Jethro.

Oh no! Jenny wouldn't do that. He hoped she wouldn't. He also knew that he'd lost any right to her or the baby. But he wouldn't stand by and let her contemplate a termination.

"The baby –" he began, but she cut him off.

"Is none of your concern. The mistress and the bastard are hardly of any importance", she spat.

He flinched at her choice of words.

He took her by the shoulders. "Don't call yourself or the baby that. Ever"

"You're hurting me" she said and he loosened his grip.

"I wish I wasn't pregnant. Not by you. I hate you so much."

"Jenny, you won't have a termination, will you?"

She finished packing and looked up.

"What I have or don't have is none of your damned business anymore. You made sure of that" she shot back at him. Then she proceeded to wheel the bag out of the apartment.

"Jen," he called as he followed her. "Where will you go?" he asked.

"That's none of your business" she spat.

She didn't give him a chance to say anything and she didn't stop. The door banged shut behind her.

Gibbs picked up the nearest item and hurled it at the wall. His life was a royal mess and he had managed to mess it up even further. Jenny would never come back to him. As for the baby, he didn't know what Jenny would decide. With the news he had received today, it was impossible to follow Jenny right away. He had to head back to D.C as soon as he could and take care of matters. But when he got back to Paris, he would make her listen to him.


	2. Slaying the Dragon

**Chapter 1: Slaying the Dragon**

_Washington D.C, 2005_

Jenny was the new director! Gibbs' life, which had been quite uneventful since his divorce from his third wife, had been full of unpleasant surprises ever since Haswari had shown up. Waves of shock hit his body. After all these years, she was finally here, right in front of him. She looked much the same way. The years had been kind to her. Gibbs had tried to reach her when he got back to Europe. But she made it clear that she wasn't having any of it. In the end he had to let go, for his own sanity. A day hadn't gone by when he didn't think of her. The sound of her laughter rang in his ears. He could still taste her kiss. He could still hear her ragged breathing when they made love. The thought was enough to arouse him instantly. Gibbs was glad that MTAC was partially dark so she couldn't see his erection. He took a couple of deep breaths to slow himself down.

The former director had left the two of them to reacquaint themselves.

"You have no idea, Jen, how much it pleases me to see you" he said when he was absolutely certain that they were alone.

She let out a derisive sigh. "I bet you do" she mumbled under her breath. "I just want to know if you'll have a problem taking orders from me" she inquired.

Her tone acted like a blast of cold water. That doused his desire. For the first time in many years he was glad for it.

"As director or as a woman?" he asked.

"Either."

"It's been years. Water under the bridge. The past won't be a problem for me" he informed her.

Jenny could see the wheels turning in his head. She thought it prudent to change the topic to Ari Haswari. When she tried to dissuade Jethro from hunting down Haswari, he cut her off.

"The bastard has already killed one of my people. He's trying to kill more and I'll tell you something else. No suit with a tight sphincter is getting in my way and that includes you, Jen" he said as he walked down the stairs.

For a second Jenny was rendered speechless. She recovered quickly. She folded her arms across her chest. "Special Agent Gibbs" she called out to him. She could see that it didn't bode well with him. She had never called him Gibbs before. It gave her a perverse kind of pleasure. "On the Job, it's Director Shepard or Ma'am."

"Okay." He agreed. But that wasn't all. "What about off the job?"

Did the man have no shred of decency? She thought.

"There won't be any off the job, Agent Gibbs" she told him.

"That's too bad. I've missed you, Jen".

That threw her off for a second.

"Don't make this difficult, Jethro".

"Fair enough. Won't happen again" he said. But in his heart he knew that he wouldn't let it go. Not without a fight. He had lots to say to her. But he figured now was not the time.

In the past he often thought about her. His thoughts automatically moved on to the baby. He didn't know if she had given birth or not. But he still thought about it. Maybe now he would know and then he'd be at peace. He hoped that time had mellowed her hatred. One thing he knew for certain he still loved her. The years they had spent apart just melted away.

The fact that Tony put his nose where it wasn't needed stopped Gibbs from confronting Jenny at the office. That and he had a dead agent at his hand. This could wait. Kate needed his attention more. It pissed him that Jenny along with other agencies were convinced that Ari was not the person who shot Kate. But he wouldn't stop until he had the bastard where he wanted him. And then there was the Mossad officer Ziva David. He didn't like the whole scenario one bit, but he couldn't get out of it either, if he wanted Ari's head. For the life of him he couldn't figure out why Ari was targeting women in his life. First Kate, then attempting to shoot Abby. If Ari wanted, he could have killed Gibbs. He had had the chance on the rooftop. It just ate at Gibbs insides. Why did Kate have to die for him? Why did any of them had to die for him? The bastard was right, one of them would be killed, and Gibbs wanted it to be Ari only then would he be at peace. Vengeance was an unquenchable thirst. He had known it before and he had put an end to it. He would end it again.

Jenny had expected to see Jethro. Agent Gibbs, she corrected herself. She'd prepared herself for this. But faced with him, the all the years of planning and preparing herself went out the window. She was still blown away. Jenny had come to terms with it long ago. She knew she would love him forever, despite his betrayal, but she still found it difficult to forgive him for everything. She had seen something in his eyes. Questions. She would enjoy torturing him. That would be her revenge.

* * *

It appeared they had caught the shooter, but only to Jenny who ordered them to go home since it was now over. Gibbs wasn't convinced. Down in Abby's lab, he obsessed over things they had uncovered. Tony and Abby didn't say anything. While Ziva and Jenny were still hard pressed that Gibbs was wrong about Ari. It still didn't make any sense. In the midst of it all, Ziva revealed that she had prepared a dossier on him for Ari. That was a wake-up call of sorts for Gibbs. Shannon and Kelly, his first wife and daughter, were a secret he never told anyone. Sure, he had told Jenny he was married, but she didn't know the half of it. After, things had went down horribly, he never mentioned them again. Not even to his two ex-wives. After all these years, it still hurt. So, he had buried them in the deepest recesses of his mind. Not even Ducky, his close friend and confidant knew. He figured that Ziva had it in her dossier. He asked the others to leave.

"You found out about my first wife and daughter". It wasn't a question. One look at Ziva told him all. She didn't look at him.

"Yes. I'm sorry", she said after a few moments had passed.

Ari knew it too, then. All pieces fell into place. That's why he killed Kate and shot at Abby. He was hitting Gibbs where it hurt most. Gibbs would get him. Getting him right now wasn't soon enough. He asked Ziva to set him up for Ari. But she was reluctant. He convinced Ziva to cover his back if he was right about Ari being the shooter. She had agreed but in the deepest recesses of his mind, he had his doubts. But he would take the chances.

Later that night, he went home and straight to his basement. He was shocked to see Ari. He didn't know Ari would take the bait this quickly. Gibbs was unarmed and he didn't see any chance of arming himself. Ari had Gibbs' rifle. This was it then. These were perhaps the last few minutes of his life. Images flashed. His family, Shannon and Kelly, waving him goodbye. There was Jenny, a very pregnant Jenny. There was his team. Then he heard the shot. He realized quickly that it wasn't him that been shot. It was Ari. Ziva had shot Ari. Gibbs looked at her as she came down the stairs. She looked stricken. He pieced it all together from what Ari had said. Ziva confirmed it for him. She was Ari's sister. Half-sister to be exact. It must be hell for her. So he left her alone to say goodbye to her brother.

When he breathed, it was much easier than before. The weight that had settled on his heart ever since the arrival of Ari was gone. He would have been much happier had he been the one to shoot Ari, but this qualified too. Now there was only one mission. Jenny. He would complete all paperwork necessary for closing this case and then he he would have his sight set on Jenny.

* * *

It was a few days later. Jenny unlocked her front door and went inside. Something alerted her to the presence of someone. "Jethro", she breathed. Perhaps it was her sixth sense or her woman's intuition, but she knew it was him. The initial storm was over, she reckoned it was time for a different kind of storm. She straightened up and steeled herself for the onslaught when she actually faced him. Jenny had had years to prepare herself for this confrontation. She schooled her features and headed to her study. He was there, just as she'd thought he'd be.

"I made myself at home" he indicated towards the whiskey in his hands. He waited for her to say something. When she didn't, he continued. "We can either indulge in small talk or we could get straight to the point. Which do you prefer?"

She shrugged. "I see no point in exchanging pleasantries. Why don't you get straight to the point and tell me why you have broken into my house?"

Her voice had risen a notch or two.

"You know why, Jen" he replied.

"Do I?"

She didn't want to make it any easier for him. Why would she?

He was irked.

"Okay, we'll play by your rules" he said giving in.

There was a pregnant pause. Clearly, Gibbs was going to be the one who did the talking.

"I did what you asked. I stayed away." Gibbs' voice was steady. It peeved Jenny that even after all this time she could sense his feelings. Turmoil lurked under his tough façade.

"It was the least you could have done, Jethro" she replied without any emotion.

"You were never like this, Jen" he observed, "The Jenny I knew was a warm and vibrant woman".

The temperature rose a few degrees. "I am what you made me. You did this to me." Jenny checked herself.

That was true, Gibbs thought to himself. If only he hadn't – hadn't what? Had sex with her? Played with fire? It was true that she was the one to initiate everything between them, but he had been in equal partner. More than that, he had been the guilty party, she hadn't known about Shannon. He hadn't told her anything. He should have told her at the beginning. She would have understood. It was all his doing. In all these years, he could have kept abreast with her activities, he could have "spied on her", but he didn't. He had caused her enough pain and he wasn't going to compound it by harassing her as well. He thought it would be best to let her deal with everything on her own terms. And then there had been the matter of Jenny's pregnancy. He had been in the study for a while now. There were pictures there. Jenny as a child. Jenny with her parents. But there were no pictures that suggested that Jenny had had the baby. It hurt. All these years, when he had pictured Jenny, there had always been a baby. This was hard to accept. The only explanation he could find was that she had a miscarriage. He knew things had been tough. It had been tough for him, he could hardly imagine what Jenny went through. The thought that Jenny could have had an abortion didn't cross him. Never had he imagined that. She just wouldn't do it. This was the time to ask her about the baby. To share with her what had been his right and his duty all those years ago.

"Jen", he waited for her to look at him. When she looked at him, he asked the question. He was afraid of what the answer night be. "The baby. What happened to the baby?"

His stance was rigid. Fearful of what was coming. Jenny had had years to come to terms with losing the baby. Whereas he had only just discovered it.

Jenny was a bit taken aback. She hadn't expected him to jump to this topic so quickly. To give her credit, she recovered quickly. Gibbs was otherwise occupied and missed the tiniest sparkle of hatred in her eye.

"There is no baby. I had the pregnancy terminated". She offered no explanation.

Silence.

It had the effect of a body blow. Gibbs couldn't believe his ears. The Jenny he knew wouldn't have harmed their baby. But then, his Jenny was long gone. Replaced by the person who stood before his eyes.

"If you did it out of spite –", he broke off. There wasn't anything he could say. What he had done had been terrible. He had lost all rights to reprimand Jenny for her actions. In fact he didn't have any right to begin with. If the thought of losing the baby had hurt earlier, this was a hundred times worse. It slowly sank in. Their baby was gone. _His _baby was gone.

"After what you did to me, there was no way I was going to have the baby. How could I? It belonged to a man who betrayed me. I wanted no part of you", Jenny said in a nonchalant manner.

That was it. Gibbs snapped. The bi–, no he wouldn't call her that. He had loved her too much. He breathed deeply a few times to calm himelf.

"You could have come to me, I would have gladly taken the baby".

"Like I said earlier, I didn't want it. Didn't want to bring it into the world." she said in a detached manner.

How could she be so causal about this?

"You hated me enough to destroy my child". It wasn't a question.

He needed space to think. "I need some air" he said before leaving.

During the course of their conversation, Gibbs had been too distracted to notice Jenny's tell, the twitch of her eye when she lied. Jenny let out a breath when he left. She had lied blatantly. When he had asked, something inside her had risen and demanded that she wound him as he had wounded her all those years ago. Somehow, her little charade was not as satisfying as she had thought it would be. The wounded look in Gibbs' eyes and his defeated posture hurt her. It tied her up in knots. She didn't like it one bit that something inside her ached for him.

* * *

Gibbs wasn't angry. Just beaten and broken. He had lost another child. It hurt like hell. What hurt more was that Jenny was far out of his reach. He had pushed her so far away that return didn't seem possible. He crawled into his basement to lick his wounds. He had taken too many hits. First Kelly and then Shannon. Kate had been killed because of him. His and Jenny's baby had become a casualty of his actions and Jenny's fury. He didn't think he would survive another blow. It would finish him. Not even his boat seemed to distract him tonight. The more Gibbs though about it, the more guilty he felt. He hated to feel that way. In another lifetime, Jenny had loved him and he had broken her. Gibbs had thought he had put it behind him and was moving on, but one look at her in MTAC and he knew he was still madly in love with her. This time, there was no way he would let Jenny get away. She was his. It would take time to heal old wounds. And he would make sure they healed. He'd give her space to come around. And then he would pursue her relentlessly. But he would not let her slip through his fingers.

* * *

**A/N:**

Hope you guys liked it. Don't forget to give feedback.

Also, I'm in a bit of a fix. Can't decide a name for Gibbs and Jenny's kid. Would you all please suggest something (names for both, girls and boys would be awesome).


	3. Flame

**Chapter 2: Flame**

Gibbs managed to stay out of Jenny's hair for the next few days. He had decided to give Jenny time and space. But recent revelations had played havoc with him as well. And he too needed the time to ponder over all the information he had received. The pain he felt was immense. He hadn't seen her at all for a week after their confrontation. There were day when it seemed that he would get over it all. But there would be times when he felt that the sky had crashed on him Jenny had just become director and she was taking the time familiarize with all that came with the chair. Once the dust settled, Gibbs was sure they'd have their moments.

While Jenny's appointment book was overrun with meetings and lunches and what not, team Gibbs was having a nice week. There was a case or two, but nothing which over taxed them. Tony was up to his antics. Gibbs had caught him playing games on his computer again and for the umpteenth time he had chastised him for it. Gibbs wouldn't be caught dead even thinking about it, but having Tony around was actually a blessing. Tony was a constant source of entertainment, but there times Gibbs would have cheerfully throttled him. Sometimes, Tony reminded him of his younger self, before Shannon and Kelly had died and even when he was with Jenny. The change had come with Jenny's departure and her refusal to let him set things straight. Ducky and others thought that the case with Kyle Boone, the serial killer was the only reason for the change. In some ways it had been, but it was mostly the deaths of his child and wife and subsequent departure of Jenny that did it. The color and light had left his life. He had steeled his heart after that. Letting no one in. But somehow, Abby, Tony, Kate and McGee had crawled in and made it permanent home for themselves.

Gibbs had tried to fill the gaping hole left by Shannon and Jenny when he had married later on. But it hadn't been fair to either of them because the pain he felt could only be eased by Jenny. Of course they hadn't measure up because they were totally different people. He failed at playing happy families with them. He didn't have children with them. It was something he was adamant about. No children. He had the precious memories of Kelly and the terrible hurt her death had caused. And then there was the thought of his and Jenny's baby. After Shannon, there was only one woman who he saw as the mother of his child – Jenny. And if they couldn't have and raise a child together, he didn't want any. And there was the fact that he didn't want to risk his heart again. Gibbs threw himself into work. He went at it like his life depended on it. He drove the team hard and himself harder. Any day now, the team expected him to collapse. But he was Gibbs, a mountain. Always rising.

Jenny was exhausted after her first week as director. She longed for the time when she could take some time off and visit the two people she loved more than anything. What she wouldn't give to be with her mother and RJ right now. Jenny missed her mother, but she missed RJ more. He was her son and she loved him like mad. She had carried him in her womb and had given birth to him. But she loved him even more because he was a part of Jethro – the only part she could have of him. Her baby had grown up and she wasn't around to see him. Baby booties had given way to soccer shoes. She had made her choices a long time ago. And no matter how much she wanted to she couldn't change the way things were. His blue eyes reminded her of Jethro each and every day. Jenny knew she was just biding her time, Jethro would find out sooner or later. She hoped it would be later. For now, she was happy with the way things were.

* * *

The team accepted Ziva without a hitch. Abby was the only one who was having trouble warming up to her. Abby thought that Ziva was trying to replace Kate. Abby was even apprehensive about the new director. She worked best when left to her own devices. They all soon figured out that Gibbs and the director had history, but didn't have enough courage to actually bring it up. Tony and McGee knew that Ziva had worked with the director before. They figured that she might be able to bring them up to date.

"Ziva!" Tony called out and motioned with his hands asking her to come over.

She walked over to Tony's desk where he and McGee were huddled together. Tony looked around for any sign of Gibbs before he continued. Gibbs had the tendency to walk up silently behind them at inopportune moments. Tony rubbed the back of his head absently.

"You and the new director work together before?" Tony asked.

"Yes" Ziva answered. But she was already suspicious of them both, because that was an established fact.

"She ever talk about the boss?" asked Tony putting on the most innocent face.

Ziva got a quizzical expression.

"Why, yes, Tony! Although, she refrained using any of the usual epithets around me because one of the bosses was my father" Ziva informed them.

"What Tony meant when he said 'The Boss' was _our _boss, Gibbs", McGee explained.

"Oh!" she exclaimed "No, she didn't. Should she have?"

Tony looked around once more. "McProbie and I think that boss and the director knew each other" he said drawing air quotes when he said "knew each other".

Ziva shook her head incredulously.

"Yes, Tony. They did. Or did you the part where Jenny said that Gibbs trained her when she was a newbie".

"When she was a probie", Tony corrected her. "What we meant was, did she tell you if she and Gibbs were an item?"

"An item? No, she told me nothing of the sort. We hardly had time for idle chit chat. We were too busy trying to stay alive".

Tony was disappointed. McGee scampered off to his desk and so did Ziva.

"You know what I think?" clearly Tony wouldn't be distracted from imparting his pearls of wisdom. "Gibbs probed his probie!"

He then looked triumphantly at the other two.

Smack!

Tony was head slapped again.

"Won't happen again, boss" he told Gibbs.

Gibbs went ti his desk and started pulling out his gear.

"Grab your gear" he said to the others.

"Where are we going boss?" asked McGee as he swung his bag on his shoulder.

"Norfolk. Got a body" Gibbs said and headed off to the elevator.

* * *

Gibbs was off his game. With so much going on for him, he was unable to focus. That was a fatal error. A bullet had grazed his hand. Luckily, it was just a graze. If he didn't get his game straight, there wouldn't be a next time. Gibbs had sent Tim and Ziva back to the Navy yard. Tony had stayed behind while Gibbs got his wound checked out. Once his hand was bandaged, they too left for their office building. Now, they had an injured Gibbs – although not severely – but injured just the same, and still no leads. With his life in disarray and the investigation at hand, Gibbs was pretty peeved. The pain in his hand wasn't helping matters much. Apparently, everyone in the building had found out about Gibbs' injury. It wasn't like he was untouchable and it as if it was the first time he'd gotten injured on the job. He couldn't understand why everyone fussed about it. As soon as he stepped off the elevator, Abby launched herself onto him. She hugged him so tight, he feared he might get a few cracked ribs.

She went into a tirade the moment she let go of him.

"I know rule 62 is to always give people space when they get off an elevator, but this I had to see", she ranted. "Does it hurt? Of course it hurts, what am I saying? How did it happen? Did you at least get the person who shot at you?"

There would have been more, but Gibbs put his finger to her lips to silence her.

"Abs. Breathe".

Once again she hugged him.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Gibbs". She went back to her lab after Gibbs assured her that his injury was in no-way life threatening.

Back at his desk, he directed the rest of the team to follow up on the case, while he filed necessary paper work. It wasn't the first time he'd been shot and with his line of work, it wouldn't be the last. Previously, he had never let it run him down. This time was different. There was a huge weight on his chest. He had been shot just because he'd been distracted. Maybe a few personal days would do him good? He'd have to think about that one, but he was certainly done for the day.

Gibbs sat back and looked at the vacant desks of his team. It had been quite some time since he had sent them away. They should have been back by now. He checked his watch. No matter how Gibbs acted around them, but he worried for them when they were out of his sight. After all they were all he had – the only family he would ever have now. He decided to give them another hour before he called. He leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. There was no patter of tiny feet. No one to call him daddy. But he was still a father. He may have lost Kelly and his and Jenny's baby, but he still had Tony, Tim, Abby and Ziva.

"I had to see this for myself, Jethro", Jenny's voice rang out,

Gibbs shot up in his chair. He hadn't expected to see her. He was shocked by her sudden appearance. So lost was he in his thoughts that he hadn't heard her creep up on him. That was his job!

"Come to see me bleed, Jen?"

Something told Jenny that he wasn't just talking about his freshly injured hand.

The elevator dinged and out walked Tony, Ziva and Tim. Whatever Jenny was going to say was abandoned. Gibbs was relieved. He didn't want to face any of it now. He was super glad the team had come in when they had. Gibbs let them fill him in and then told them all to go home. With that he also got his stuff together and left for the sanctuary of his basement.

* * *

Gibbs sat on his work-bench. His tools lay on the table along with an untouched mason jar containing bourbon. He had no desire to craft anything. He hadn't felt that way ever since his confrontation with Jenny. When they were in Paris, he hadn't told Jenny about Shannon. That was awful. But what Jenny had done was unforgivable, too. It was a thorn in his side, poisoning him slowly. He had to get away. But he didn't think it was the solution. Running away never solved a thing. Just then, he heard the door being opened. Whoever it was would be coming down soon. He put up his poker-face for them.

Jenny. He was surprised to see the visitor was Jenny. Hadn't she driven the dagger deep enough into his heart? Was she there to enjoy his pain? He didn't say anything. The jar of bourbon that lay forgotten came in handy. Gibbs drank it down in one gulp.

Jenny was the one to break the silence.

"I came to see how you were doing".

"Still breathing", he didn't add a retort about any dagger, like he wanted to.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. Jenny didn't realize she was pushing it.

"Why wouldn't I be? I've seen worse in combat, remember?" Gibbs didn't know where he summoned the power to stay calm from.

She just nodded. The silence stretched out. Jenny was looking at him, but he just avoided her gaze. He looked everywhere but in her direction.

Some perverse desire to inflict pain herself made her ask the question that had buzzed around her brain for quite some time.

"Jethro, I heard you were married twice"

"Divorced twice", he corrected. But he didn't add that Shannon was his first wife.

"Okay, divorced twice", Jenny amended.

"Did she leave because she discovered –" Discovered what? Discovered that her husband was screwing someone else when she wasn't looking? She didn't know what words to use. "– about us?" she said after a second. "Did she find out?"

He didn't answer. There was nothing he could say to her without opening old wounds. So he stayed silent. It was a chapter in a book that was best remained closed.

Jenny's anger flared. It wasn't because Gibbs didn't want to answer her. It was his indifferent demeanor.

"Jethro, you owe it to me", she demanded.

He slammed his fist down on the table. Then he turned to look at her. _Finally_, she thought.

"While we are on the topic of owing to each other, you owe me my child". He'd finally said it out loud. Maybe now it would be out of his system.

_Tell him!_ A voice inside Jenny's head spoke up. Tell him, now. She was sorry that she had lied to him, but fear wouldn't let her speak the truth. Maybe it was better this way. She knew she was taking the coward's way out, but it was a way out.

All thoughts of Jethro's wife fled her mind.

"Jethro", she said, "What I did, I did it because I thought it would be for the best". At least she could say that with honesty. At the time, leaving RJ with her mother seemed like a good idea because of her job as field agent. But she hadn't considered how much she would miss him each day.

Gibbs didn't have a comeback. Or maybe he didn't want to take the argument further. Jenny didn't know which. But he just sat there on the bench. Not looking at her again. He was angry she could tell. Maybe it would be good for his soul. A bit. She'd let him stay that way for a while. Maybe if he was good, she would find a good time to tell him very soon. No matter what, RJ had a right to know his father and Gibbs had a right to know him.

* * *

Didn't they say time had a way of healing old hurts? A few days had considerably helped Gibbs. There wasn't anything he could do about it, so he decided to put it behind him. He put himself in Jenny's shoes to see everything from her vantage point. Surprisingly, it helped. Sure he was angry, he had been angry, but it didn't mean he has stopped loving Jenny. He was still absolutely adamant about getting Jenny back.

The following week Gibbs went to see Jenny in her office before he called it a day. As usual, he didn't wait for Jenny's assistant to announce him. He just barged in. Jenny was in the middle of signing case files. She was kind of pissed at the sudden intrusion but when she saw it was Jethro, she relaxed.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Agent Gibbs?" Her tone was mocking, but not in a malicious way.

He jumped to the point.

"Jen, I've been a complete bastard these past couple of weeks. Guess I don't like bad news being sprung on me. I just… lost it".

That coming from Jethro equaled an apology. At least he was explaining his behavior.

"What do you say, Jen? Let's call it truce?" he asked.

She stood up and extended her hand, waiting for him to take it. She wouldn't miss this opportunity. Maybe this would give her the opening she'd been looking for to tell Jethro about RJ.

"Truce" she said, with a smile.

* * *

Things were amiable after that. Gibbs didn't want things to be amiable. He wanted explosive. He wanted heat and passion. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that he didn't know what Jenny wanted. Maybe if he just talked to her. Gibbs didn't want to acknowledge the fact, but he was actually afraid of her reaction. Jenny on the other hand, was apprehensive. She kept putting off telling Jethro the truth. It was getting harder day after day.

They caught a case. An interesting one. They had to send Tony and Ziva on an undercover assignment posing as a married couple who were also deadly assassins. Camera surveillance was up, while Tony and Ziva were on the spot, Gibbs and Jenny were in MTAC giving directions to them. Gibbs was reminded of his and Jenny's undercover assignment. It wasn't their job that came to his mind. It was the long hours they spent making love that popped up in his mind. He could still feel Jenny's hands running up and down his back urging him to go faster. He jerked out of the memory. He was hard. The memory of it was enough to arouse him. He shifted in the chair uncomfortably. This was going to be a long long case for him.

Jenny sensed his unease. It was strange the way she could sometimes read his mind. She had to stop thinking about Paris, it was getting her all hot and bothered. What she wouldn't give right now to be able to push Jethro to the floor and have her wicked way with him. But that wouldn't be a wise move on her part. Neither did she want to rekindle a flame that had burnt her the first time round.

* * *

**First off, thank you for all the reviews. Keep them coming. Also thank your for your suggestions. **

**I'm still writing the next chapter, Suggestions for that would be welcome.**


	4. Vacation

**Chapter 3**

Jenny was happy about taking some time off. Her mother had moved to England after her father had died. RJ had been born in England too. And that's where they both lived. She had flown to England to visit RJ and her mother. Ever since she had taken on the position of director, she hadn't had the opportunity to sit back and relax. She was in the company of two people she loved dearly, no murder, no vice, no pressure, no Jethro. She wasn't sure if she liked the last thought.

She was lost in her blissful thoughts when RJ walked up to her and put his arms around her neck. That startled her. This was just so Gibbs! She hadn't even heard him walk towards her.

"Rafael Jordan Shepard!" she admonished him. "How many times have I told you to not sneak up on me like that?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Sorry, mom" he beamed, knowing full well that Jenny wasn't going to be mad at him.

Earlier on, when Jenny had thought she would have a Jethro-free couple of weeks, she was wrong. RJ was Jethro all over again. From the way he looked to the way he did things. Of course, he was not as cynical or jaded as Jethro. But then again, time and circumstances did that to a person.

"MOM!" RJ said loudly.

That brought Jenny out of her thoughts.

"I was just –" She trailed off and didn't complete whatever she was going to say.

"I was asking how long you have before you have to go back to work" he asked.

"Six more days, kiddo", she replied wistfully. "But I promise, we'll make the most of it".

And they did. They went to the beach for a picnic, played laser tag and even went to Alton Towers.

She missed this so much. They didn't get to do any of the usual activities that families usually did. But then again, their circumstances hadn't been 'usual'. Jethro had been a lying, cheating bastard and she was an agent for an armed federal agency. Not a good match for raising a child. But now she was the director. Wheels were turning in her brain. Perhaps now, the situation was conducive and she could move RJ and her mother to D.C with her. She would set the wheels in motion when she got back to D.C. And Jethro. She'd have to tell him soon if their son was moving in with her.

She pushed all thoughts away and focused on now. RJ was so understanding. Sometimes she wished he would be more demanding. Never once in his life had he complained that he didn't get to see his mother a lot. He had inquired about his father when he was 5. Jenny didn't want to cast Jethro as the villain, she had just told him that he was away and they couldn't be a family. He had never asked again. She was happy about it, until now. Now that Jethro was very much 'in the picture' she'd have to reconsider everything.

On her last night in England, Jenny went to check on RJ. It was late and he was asleep. A smile flickered on her lips when she saw him sprawled on his bed. She had been blessed with the best child. Jenny was haunted by the thought that she had once sought out an abortion. And she was eternally grateful that she hadn't followed it through. RJ was a perpetual reminder of Jethro, and she held him dear for it. The only part of Jethro she could claim.

Morning came and with it, time for Jenny's departure. There were teary goodbyes and promises to see RJ soon. The seed had been planted into Jenny's mind and it had taken root. Jenny would mover her family to America soon.

* * *

It felt like she had left her heart back in England. Every time she had visited, she had hardened herself on her return. But this time it would be different. The thought of being a family consumed her. Happiness bubbled inside her. But so did fear. Fear that Gibbs would find out her secret before she had a chance to explain to him. She debated whether to tell him or not. She altered between the two. One part of her wanted to shout it off roof-tops, but the other wanted to keep it locked up. That and the fact that she was unsure of how Gibbs would react to the presence of a child.

The last issue resolved itself when Zach came along. His father had been kidnapped, but Jenny wasn't convinced that that was the truth. Jethro on the other hand was equally adamant that Zach's father wasn't the criminal behind his own kidnapping. They were both at logger-heads.

Jenny went down to the squad-room to check on the progress. But the sight before her stopped her in her tracks on the stairs. Zach had recently gone through the ordeal of attempted kidnapping and Gibbs was trying to cheer him up. He had blown up a rubber glove for the boy. Jenny could see Gibbs loved children and went to any lengths to help them and keep them safe. The look of satisfaction when he was with Zach made her ache. Was she being unfair to Jethro by keeping their son a secret? She already knew the answer – she had done it to punish him. She could see it in her mind's eye, Jethro with RJ, oh how they would both love it and each other. She had to choose either way, and at the moment she seemed inclined towards letting Jethro in on her secret.

That case was soon over. And with it Jenny's temporary determination to tell Gibbs. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. On the other hand, she was making arrangements to relocate RJ to D.C. Jenny had talked to her mother about moving back to America, but she had refused and told Jenny to relocate RJ because he missed his mom a lot and it would be the best course for him. Jenny had happily agreed. Jenny could barely contain her excitement as she began making arrangements.

* * *

After her meeting with a senator, she had gotten in her car. Daydreaming again. But the damage had already been done. Apparently, she'd been kidnapped. If only she had just made sure things were okay before getting in her car. Her first thought had been her driver and security detail.

"Where's Stanley?" she asked her kidnapper.

"He's okay, it's not him you should worry about" he answered.

Something told her that Stanley was not okay.

"What is this about?" she asked.

"Your people have my brother and my drugs", he said pointing his gun at her. They were moving away from the city. Jenny didn't have any chance of getting away or doing something about her situation. There was only one thing to do, comply. She prayed that Gibbs and his team would find her without having to give up their perp or evidence.

They drove in silence. There was a gun pointed at her and her kidnapper had made it crystal clear that he wasn't going to negotiate with her.

* * *

At the squad room, the atmosphere was explosive. Ziva was being treated as a suspect. She didn't like it one bit. Neither did Gibbs. He went up to see Jenny about the matter. She wasn't there. And Cynthia, her assistant, wasn't helping matters either. She wasn't telling Gibbs anything. She just kept harping on about the director's itinerary being confidential and that he, Gibbs wasn't cleared to know about it! The issue was of critical nature and couldn't wait so he called Jenny. He was annoyed and it was evident from his impatient tone.

The phone rang twice before Dempsey allowed her to answer Gibbs' call. Jenny was unsure if he'd let her take the call or not as he had disconnected Cynthia's calls.

"I've got a major problem" he informed her.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Jethro, but, I've got a serious problem myself" she replied.

"Jen" he was getting impatient.

"You should listen to her, Jethro". That voice was certainly not Jenny's, Gibbs said to himself.

Gibbs received quite a shock to hear she'd been kidnapped and who the kidnapper was. In that instant he knew he'd move heaven and earth to get her back. But how to achieve that goal was an elusive thought because James Dempsey's younger brother, who he had demanded be released, was lying dead. Gibbs wouldn't let fear dictate him. He started asking Cynthia questions but she was still not answering, so he motioned her inside Jenny's office. He briefed her about Jenny's situation and that gained her cooperation.

As the two-hour deadline drew nearer, Gibbs became more desperate. At one hand he was eager to recover Jenny safe and sound and on the other hand, Ziva was still under suspicion. James Dempsey had demanded his brother be released. How on earth were they going to do that! Then Tony proposed an insane idea and braced himself for a headslap. But Gibbs was going to clutch at any straw, he could have kissed DiNozzo.

Once everyone was in position, things happened fast. James Dempsey had already killed his partner, and Gibbs had taken down Dempsey. The bullet had whizzed by Jenny. Gibbs was too good a marksman to have missed the intended target or hit Jenny by mistake. They were able to recover Jenny safe and sound. She was unharmed, but shaken. They also had a casualty – Jenny's driver, Stanley. Jenny asked to see him in autopsy. But Gibbs didn't think it was a good idea. Jenny insisted and had been led down by Ziva – who had yet to be cleared of all charges.

Once down in autopsy, Jenny asked to be left alone. Duck, Ziva and Jimmy shuffled out. Because of her probie mistake, Stanley had lost his life. She would have to inform his family. That was the hardest thing to do. Telling someone that they had lost a loved one. The doors to autopsy slid open and Gibbs stalked in followed by Ducky and Ziva. One part of the problem had been solved, but the puzzle still remained. How did Dempsey's younger brother die? He wanted answers. Ducky concluded that their suspect had died of natural causes and Jenny added her agreement to it. Ziva was in the clear. Gibbs didn't seem convinced, but he was pleased that Ziva was put in the clear.

Jenny excused herself telling them that she was tired and wanted to go home. Gibbs followed her into the elevator. When it started ascending, Gibbs flicked the emergency switch. He stood beside her, not saying a word. He just looked at her.

"I'm fine, Jethro. You can stop giving me that look", she said when she couldn't stand it anymore.

"You sure, Jen, because you don't look fine to me" he said.

"Then you need your glasses". She knew it was futile arguing with him, but she did it anyway.

"I'll take you home".

Jenny was extremely glad he'd said it. She didn't want to be alone.

They drove in silence.

Jenny was grateful that Jethro wasn't pushing it.

When they arrived at their destination, Gibbs led Jenny into the house. He was going to make sure she was okay before he left. She looked far from okay at the moment. There was a lost look in her eye. A good night's sleep would do her a world of good. With that thought he led Jenny to her bedroom and sat her down on the bed.

"Just put your legs up and try to sleep" he told her like she was a child. "You'll feel much better in the morning. You should call in and take a few days off" he instructed.

Jenny didn't say a word. But he could see that she had heard him. Gibbs patted her forearm once and walked towards the door.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Jenny almost yelled, horrified at the prospect of being alone.

"Home?" Gibbs suggested with a quizzical look on his face.

Jenny looked like a lost puppy. It broke his heart to see her like this.

"Stay", Jenny implored.

* * *

**I'm really sorry for the delay. The last week was pretty eventful for me (in a very amazing way). **

**Suggestions for the next chapter would be welcome. **

**And thanks a billion for the reviews. **


	5. Stay

**Chapter 4: Stay**

_'Stay', _Jenny's voice echoed in his ears. It was music to his ears. Under different circumstances he wouldn't hesitate and immediately inform her of his intentions. No matter what she thought, Gibbs was an honorable man he wouldn't take advantage of the situation.

"I'll be in the next room. If you need me, just holler" he told her. "And don't worry about me, I'll make myself at home".

He left the door open so he could hear her if she called out. True to his word, Gibbs made himself comfortable. He didn't have a change of clothes on him, so he made the best of the situation. He undid his pants, but left them on along with his t-shirt and got into bed. Everything was so silent around him, he was sure he could hear his own heart beating. Or was that the tick-tock of the clock? Gradually, he drifted off to sleep.

Something woke Gibbs up and he immediately reached for his gun. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was Jenny and sat up. Jenny came and stood at the foot of the bed. Gibbs was floored just looking at her. She wore only an old t-shirt and her briefs.

"You could have called me, Jen" he said as he ran a hand over his face.

"I didn't want to disturb you".

"Then what were you going to do? Sneak silently into the bed?"

That had come out slightly harshly when none had been intended. Gibbs just sighed.

Jenny nodded. She still looked like a frightened child and it broke Gibbs' heart. He patted the space beside him and she got in. Gibbs lied back and turned to face her. Then he looped his arm around her.

"Comfy?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm".

A few seconds passed before her hand came up and combed through his hair. Gibbs just closed his eyes and savored the moment. Then, the softness of her lips touched his and she was kissing him. The scent of cherries wafted up. He wasn't going to resist. He kissed her back with equal ardor. His hands went up and down her spine. She arched her back and shuffled closer to him. Things turned heated very quickly. The moment her tongue slipped into his mouth, he broke the kiss and shot out of the bed. His breathing was ragged.

Gibbs raked a hand through his hair.

"Jethro?" she asked uncertainly.

"I … We can't", he said "Right now you're not yourself. Tomorrow, you'll regret it" he said by way of explanation.

Jenny stood on her knees on the bed.

"There won't be any regrets on my part. I want this. I've wanted you so badly. All the time".

She kissed him again. This time more boldly. One of her hands found its way under his t-shirt. It roamed over his chest, her fingers sifting through the hair on his chest. Gibbs groaned when she raked a nail lightly over his nipple. She could tell that he was still resisting. Slowly, she inched her hand downwards into his undone pants and boxers. Jenny touched him, tentatively at first. He became hard. Her touch grew bolder. Jenny looked into his eyes and saw her approaching victory. Her touch became bolder and she pushed down his pants along with his boxers. His t-shirt was rolled up and over his head in no time. There he stood in all his naked glory.

Jenny took him in her hand again. She knew she was playing with fire. She wanted it to burn her, to consume her. All rational thought left Gibbs' mind, he threw caution to the wind and pushed her back on the bed, following her. He kissed her ferociously while his hands fondled her breasts. His lips and hands were playing havoc with her senses. His nimble fingers flicked her nipples. All of a sudden he grabbed her hips and rolled them over so she was on top. Jenny was quick to adjust herself and took the lead. She rained kisses on his body. Gibbs groaned when she flicked her tongue over his nipples. He was hanging on by a thread, his hands fisted the sheets in an effort to hold off. Jenny inched downwards leaving a trail of kisses. She swiped a finger over the rounded head of his erection where a drop of moisture had appeared, rubbing it in. Gibbs lifted off the mattress when she took him in her mouth. He let go of the last shred of control and flipped her onto her back, ripped her panties off and thrust inside her, hard. Jenny sighed with pleasure. He held onto the head-board of the bed and started thrusting inside her. It was heaven. He was close. He knew he would come any second. Gibbs reached down and stroked his finger over her clit. Jenny came instantly and Gibbs followed her into the ecstasy. He fell on top of her, drained. They stayed that way until both of them caught their breath.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked concern.

Jenny was still out of breath. So, she shook her head.

"We're far from over, babe", Gibbs said before moving away.

Jenny was so content she didn't make any comment. Just snuggled closer. That's when Gibbs realized that while he was completely naked, she was still partially dressed in her t-shirt. Gibbs remedied that. Once she was as naked as he was, Gibbs kissed her deeply. He bit her lip lightly and it spurred her on. Jenny put her hands on Gibbs' buttocks, pulling him closer.

Gibbs flipped Jenny onto her back and rolling on top of her. He moved down a bit to kiss her jaw and neck. He placed tiny kisses on her body. Jenny was certain that she'd have tiny hickeys tomorrow. The thought didn't embarrass her. If Jethro branded her with his name, she couldn't be more his. That was what he was doing, wasn't he? Branding her? All thoughts left her as she felt him nuzzle her nipple. She brought her hands to hold his place in head as he suckled hard. It sent darts of pleasure down her body. Jenny arched her back, asking for more. He moved to the other breast, giving it the same attention.

"Jethro, you have no idea how much I've missed this" she informed him.

"You and me, both" he replied, before kissing a trail down her body.

Gibbs continued to trail kisses down her body. Jenny knew what was coming next and her toes curled in anticipation.

Gibbs saw a faint, silvery line across her lower abdomen. It didn't register at first in his hazy mind. He halted as reality sank in. Gibbs wasn't an imbecile. He knew exactly what the faint line was – a scar from a C-section. He'd seen a similar scar almost from the beginning, day in and day out on Shannon's abdomen. He ran a finger over it.

Jenny braced herself on her elbows to see him. She found herself becoming the recipient of a glare. She was fully aware what this was about. The inevitable had happened and there was no crying over spilt milk.

All amorous thoughts were chased away from Gibbs' mind. He closed his eyes for a second and sighed, then he got up and started dressing haphazardly.

"Get dressed", he ordered a dazed Jenny. "I'll see you downstairs". With that said, he hurried downstairs, putting as much distance between him and jenny as possible at the moment.

Gibbs waited at the foot of the stairs for her. He seethed with fury. He had been fed a pack of lies! Gibbs straightened when he saw Jenny approach.

The seconds ticked by before he spoke.

"Did you hate me so much that you lied to me about the baby?" There was anger in his tone, but he kept it in check.

Jenny remained silent. Gibbs anger boiled when she didn't answer.

"You will pay for this". He left, slamming the door behind.

Gibbs was halfway to his house when he realized that in his state of anger and hurt, he hadn't asked if the baby had been a boy or a girl, where he or she was, their name. Had she given the baby up for adoption? No! His mind screamed. That couldn't be. The baby, the child would be lost to him forever that way. He prayed Jenny hadn't given up the baby. Gibbs wanted to turn back and demand answers, but a rational part of his brain stopped him from doing that.

* * *

Gibbs hadn't seen or talked to Jenny in the two days since their eventful encounter. His rage was on a slow simmer. Team Gibbs was proving to be his punching bag. 'Nice' wasn't a word anyone ever used to describe Gibbs, but he was actually being mean. No one dared to say a word. Tony was more cautious than ever.

They were working on a case involving a missing female lieutenant. A super geeky one at that. Tim had discovered a software that projected images of possible offspring based on photos of two individuals. Abby was on her way up. Tony and Ziva were just glad Gibbs wasn't around.

"I wonder what's gotten into his panties", commented Ziva, when she was sure Gibbs wasn't around.

"Perhaps he's not getting some", Tony speculated.

"Break up with the mysterious red head who was around a couple of times?" asked McGee.

"With Gibbs, you never know" pitched in Tony. "She hasn't been around in some time".

Abby and Tim input photos of Ziva and Tony. They had a laugh when a rather funny looking infant appeared.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other and smiled wickedly, as if conspiring.

"Do Gibbs and the director!" they said at the same time.

McGee stroked the keys and images of Gibbs and the director appeared. The software worked in the background. A third image appeared.

"Yay!" Abby said excitedly. "Gibbs and the director have a girl!"

They were all too engrossed in the image of the pretty, red-headed teenager on the monitor to notice that Gibbs had arrived in the squad room and that he was shooting daggers at Jenny, who stood on the cat-walk above, watching them. Abby was the first to spot him. She hurried over to him excitedly.

"You and the director make pretty little Gibblets!" she told him enthusiastically.

Gibbs gave the monitor a cursory glance. Something snapped inside him. He moved forward and the team jumped away to make room for him. Gibbs pulled the plugs, killing the screen.

"This is here for the purpose of work", Gibbs said, pointing the monitor, "Not for playing games". He threw away the cord angrily.

_Get a hold of yourself_, he told himself. Gibbs grabbed his coat, "I'm going to get coffee", he announced before leaving.

The cold wind hit his face as Gibbs stepped out. He cursed himself for the way he had vented his anger. He had to get a grip on himself. Gibbs paid for his coffee and headed towards a park bench. What he wouldn't give to trade the coffee for something much much stronger right this minute.

* * *

The case wrapped up. The team was just in time to rescue the lieutenant and stop a heist. With all the paperwork finished, they all went home. Gibbs went down to the sanctuary of his basement and blessed relief in strenuous physical labor of wood-working. He heard the door open, but he didn't give much thought. Whoever it was knew where to find him. Sure enough, the visitor showed up to the door leading downstairs. It was Jenny.

Gibbs stopped whatever he was doing to watch her make her way down the stairs. She came to a stop right in front of him. He didn't say a word, neither did Jenny. It was a staring competition.

"Why don't you just ask the question?" Jenny was the first to break the silence.

Gibbs just leaned back on the unfinished boat.

"I am almost afraid of the answers", he acknowledged truthfully.

Jenny fumbled in her purse and brought out an envelope.

"I brought this for you", she said handing the envelope to Gibbs.

Gibbs took it with uncertainty. He opened it and a photo slipped out. Gibbs was transfixed with the image of his child, his son. He would be twelve now. Gibbs just stared at the photo in his hand, saw the dark haired child. He could see himself in the boy. He could see Jenny too. Gibbs couldn't help smiling.

"What's his name?" Gibbs asked, still lost in the photo.

"RJ", she said. "It's Rafael Jordan, but we call him RJ".

Gibbs didn't question who 'we' was. He was too relieved at the moment. He might have missed his son's birth, but he could at least savor this moment.

"Jen, why didn't you tell me", Gibbs asked.

Jenny shrugged.

"I was mad at you" she said. "You betrayed me, you had a wife and you were playing around with me. I just wanted to lash out. Hurt you".

Gibbs sighed. He would have to explain things to her one of these days if they were going to be civil to each other in the future. But at this moment there was something else he wanted to know.

"Where is he, Jen?" he asked, hoping against hope she hadn't given him up for adoption.

"RJ is in England. He lives with my mother", she told him. "I was a field agent, I couldn't keep uprooting him. My mother took him in." she told him by way of explanation.

"Tell me about him", Gibbs asked, wanting to know everything.

"He's you. Just not cynical and jaded".

Gibbs smiled.

"He loves soccer. Football, as they call it there", she continued. "Blue eyes, just like yours. I miss him so much, seeing him for a few weeks every year isn't enough. Now that I am not a field agent anymore, I have been considering relocating him here, so I can be close to him"

That idea seemed to make Gibbs happy.

"Does he know about me?" he asked.

"No", she said regretfully.

"Jen", he said, "he's my child. I don't know him, but I love him already. Don't keep him away from me"

The sadness in his voice broke Jenny's heart.

"I won't. I'm making arrangements for him to be flown in. I won't deny you access", she told him.

"Thank you" he said.

"I should go, I just came by to tell you about RJ. I saw what happened earlier in the squad-room"

Gibbs managed to look a bit sheepish. He just nodded in acknowledgement.

Jenny was half-way up the stairs when he called her name.

"Thank you for our son".

Jenny nodded before she continued and disappeared out of his sight.

* * *

**Thank you all for being patient. And thank you for the reviews as well. Keep them coming!**

**Suggestions are welcome.**


	6. Hiatus

**Thank you for the reviews. And apologies for the hiatus. Very very very busy week. Before I move on, eNough89** **asked for a clarification of RJs age. Here it is:**

**Paris happened in 1992, Jenny left Gibbs later that year. RJ was born in early 1993, which makes him about 12 in the year 2005, when Jenny becomes director. Hope that helped.**

**Chapter 5: Hiatus**

Jenny started making arrangements for RJ to fly over after his school year ended. That way, he'd have time to settle in during the summer break before he went to a school here. She'd have to talk to Jethro about which school to send RJ to, he'd want to be a part of those decisions. She'd do that as soon as they got a chance. Jenny would have almost 2 and half months before RJ came to live with her. And Jethro. Jenny added living arrangements to her list of things to talk over with Jethro. Unfortunately, Gibbs and Jenny hadn't seen each other in a while other than fleeting meetings at work.

Meanwhile, Tony was doing what he did best – speculating about Gibbs' love life. He hadn't seen that red-headed woman who often picked up Gibbs after work sometimes in a quite some time. No wonder Gibbs was cranky because he wasn't getting any. But then lately, he'd seen something flare up in Gibbs when the director was around. Like now. Each would look at the other when they thought they weren't looking.

"Did you see that?" Tony asked, rather excitedly, when the director and Gibbs weren't around.

"See what, Tony?" McGee asked, typing away, seemingly oblivious to the world.

"What?" Ziva asked, showing a bit of interest.

That got Tony going.

"Gibbs and the director. There was plenty of eye sex going on!" Tony brought the other two up to speed.

"Tony", McGee said exasperatedly. He could clearly visualize a headslap coming and didn't want to be at the receiving end along with Tony.

"Eye sex? Never heard that one before", Ziva said.

"They were undressing each other with their eyes." he explained to her. "Metaphorically. They had this lustful look, they might as well be doing it" he added when he saw Ziva's expression, still excited.

There was a ding from the direction of the elevator. Fearing it was Gibbs they went back to their work. And they were right, it was him. This would be a record for them. Not being caught by Gibbs.

* * *

Gibbs and his team were occupied with a very important case. A terrorist attack on a U.S Naval vessel was planned, they had to find out who was responsible in order to put a stop to it. The minute Gibbs saw the man who claimed to be the NCIS agent on the ship, he knew things were wrong, because this man standing in front of him was not _their_ agent. He was an impostor. But Gibbs continued his charade to gain more intel. When the impostor led Gibbs into a tiny room, he knew in his gut that something wasn't right. Yet, he carried on.

Then the explosion happened. In the flash second before everything was shot to hell, Gibbs saw the faces of people he loved most in the world. There was Tony, Ziva, McGee, Abby and Ducky. Then there was the radiant face of Jenny. Something wasn't right. He visualized her being heavily pregnant. RJ's face from the photograph he'd seen zoomed by. And in the distance were Kelly and Shannon, both beamed at him. He didn't quite want to wake up from this bizarre dream, but something kept pulling at him. His eyes opened and he saw medics.

"… Stats dropping… multiple shrapnel wounds…", he caught little bits of what they said, other things sounded gibberish.

Gibbs felt immense pain all over. He tried to fight it for a few brief moments before he gave in and let darkness engulf him.

* * *

Jenny was at the Gala when she got the call. She couldn't get to the Portsmouth naval hospital fast enough. And when she did, the war-horse of a woman manning the desk wouldn't let her in. Jenny did what Gibbs would have done – she intimidated the woman into giving in.

Jethro was out of surgery when she arrived. What Jenny saw, broke her heart. Jethro, lying there prone with a multitude of tubes snaking around him. She checked herself when she saw Jethro's attending doctor come out of the I.C.U. She flashed her ID and introduced herself.

"Agent Gibbs", she pointed in the direction of Jethro's room. "How's he doing, doctor?" Jenny asked anxiously.

"He has multiple wounds on his body from the shrapnel, none of them are life threatening. Bruised ribs, perhaps from when he was thrown against the wall after the explosion. He's breathing on his own, which is a good thing. What concerns me is his coma. There's no trauma to his body that would lead to a coma, and yet, he is in one"

Jenny's heart sank.

"Was Agent Gibbs in Kuwait during the Gulf War", the doctor asked.

"Yes, yes, he was", Jenny didn't ask why he wanted to know. She had questions of her own. But before she could give a voice to them, the doctor made some startling revelations.

"I remember him. He was brought in after an explosion. He lapsed into a coma, just like now".

That was news to Jenny. Her eyes went wide in surprise.

"You didn't know, I take it?"

Jenny just shook her head.

"When will he wake up?" she asked.

"At this point, I can't say. But the sooner the better" he informed her.

That did not sound very reassuring.

"How long did it last back then?" Jenny asked.

"Nineteen days", the doctor replied.

That was not good news. Besides the fact that Gibbs was injured, they still had a terrorist and a possible terrorist attack to stop.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" Abby came running.

She burst into tears the second she saw Gibbs. Jenny calmed her down, but it took a few minutes. Jenny was in Director mode again. She filled Abby in on Gibbs' condition and led her out. As she did so, Abby kept turning her head around to glance at Gibbs.

Back at the squadroom, the scene was gloomy. The team was all briefed about Gibbs condition. They all did their best to do their jobs. They knew they couldn't help Gibbs at the moment. They did what they thought Gibbs expected of them.

* * *

Gibbs was floating. He was a bystander at his mother's funeral and looked on as his 9 year old self wept openly. Things took an unpleasant turn as he became part of a teenaged fist-fight, then an argument with his dad. A wave of tranquility passed over him when he spotted Shannon dressing the window of a local boutique. He felt immense pride and joy when he held his and Shannon's daughter in his hands for the first time. _Kelly._ The name echoed through his mind. Immense pain and sadness swamped him when it dawned upon him that she was gone forever. Shannon. He had to get to her. But something was stopping him, kept holding him back from reaching out to Shannon. He tried harder. Her soulful voice echoed in Gibbs' ear.

Gibbs' eyes opened, but things were blurry. He saw the red hair. Tried to reach out, but couldn't.

"Shannon", he breathed. His voice sounded strange and raspy to him.

"Jethro, it's me, Jenny", she said, hurt.

His vision cleared and the light went out of his eyes. It wasn't Shannon. A beautiful red-head he didn't recognize was there.

Jenny saw the lack of recognition. This couldn't be good. She pressed the button for the doctor. While the doctor checked Jethro, Jenny waited outside the room.

_Shannon_. The name echoed through her mind. Who was she? Jenny didn't know any Shannon, and she was pretty sure Jethro didn't either. One of his ex-wives? No, their names were Diane and Stephanie. All sorts of thoughts swam in Jenny's mind, including that Jethro might have hit his head hard and flipped a switch inside.

The doctor took his time. When he came out, Jenny hurried over to hear what he had to say.

"His stats are good. He's doing we, physically", the doctor said. Jenny sensed a 'but' coming.

"But", Jenny prompted.

"He has amnesia. There were no signs of severe trauma to the head. We fear his amnesia might be psychological".

Jenny was absolutely shocked. "Can I see him?" she asked the doctor.

"I'd rather you didn't. We had to sedate him. Agent Gibbs was hysterical. He wanted to know about his wife's condition who, he claims, is at Bethesda. Considering his amnesia, I think you should look into the matter". The doctor left to make his rounds.

It made no sense to Jenny. First Shannon and now his wife at Bethesda? Maybe Jethro had lost his mind. Something niggled at the back of her mind. It was safe to say that Jenny had also developed gut feelings. And this one was quite acute.

* * *

Jenny sat there. Her elbows rested on the table and her hands covering her face. She could barely believe what she'd just read on the file.

_'I'm married'_, Jethro's voice carried through the years.

How could any man keep this locked so deep inside? The answer was simple. The man was Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Jenny looked at the screen again. The angelic face of Jethro's daughter beamed down on her. She was a beautiful child. Jenny could point out Jethro in her features. Her mother, Shannon, was beautiful. It didn't surprise Jenny that Shannon too, was a redhead.

Jenny read the report again. Shannon witnessed the murder of a marine and was going to testify. They were provided security. The murderers shot their driver while they were enroute. The driver died instantly. The crash that followed killed Kelly. Jenny thought of RJ. She would die if anything happened to him. She couldn't imagine Jethro's pain and anguish. At least, Shannon had been spared that. Her wounds had been terrible. She fell into a coma. One she didn't wake up from. The files said that Jethro wouldn't let them pull the plug in hopes that she might wake up soon. Shannon's mother on the other hand had accepted the doctors' prognosis and petitioned the courts. She had won the case. The verdict had been passed around the time Jenny had gotten pregnant with RJ. No wonder Jethro had been depressed in those days. They had switched off the life support in January, 1993, a few months before RJ had been born.

What a mess! When Jethro had said he was married, his wife had been in a deep coma, from which she never recovered. If only Jethro had trusted her enough. She would have understood. Their lives wouldn't be a royal mess. It was easier said than done. Would she really have understood back then? No, she couldn't say with certainty. Maybe it was better this way. She knew one thing for certain, she wouldn't look at Jethro the same way again. The man was an ocean, with hidden depths, one couldn't be sure what was lurking in those depths.

For the time being, there were more pressing matters. Jenny looked at the photos of Kelly and Shannon once more. They were long gone. RJ and Jethro mattered most now. His present state of mind alarmed Jenny. She hoped he would recover quickly, not only for her sake but also to catch a terrorist.

* * *

Word got out quick. The entire team was downcast at the prospect of Gibbs not remembering any of them. He didn't even remember Ducky. And they had known each other longest! They had all made a point of visiting Gibbs at the hospital. But it was like seeing a stranger. The doctors and Ducky had brought him to speed. Gibbs had a fit of rage when he was told that it had been years since Shannon and Kelly's 'accident', and that Shannon too had died. It was too fresh. Not many people could claim going through the same tragic incident for a second time in their lives. Once Gibbs rage was spent, he wanted to be alone to come to terms with things. It was as if, people around him expected him not to grieve. Years might have passed, but it was all still fresh for him.

Jenny didn't go home after work. She went to the hospital to see Gibbs. Jenny watched him sleep. It was hell for Jenny. She went closer to his bed. Gibbs chose that moment to open his eyes.

"You were here yesterday" he said.

Jenny nodded.

"Do I know you?" he asked. It was apparent that he was trying to put pieces together.

Even though she knew the situation, the question still hurt Jenny.

"Yes, don't you remember, Jethro?" She hoped it might force him to reach deep into the recesses of his mind.

He tried to focus. Her voice at least, sounded familiar. He concentrated on scraps of memory. A restaurant, he remembered taking her hand and kissing it. But before he could grasp on to it so that he could get gain a ground, it slipped out of his fingers. He had one memory, but no background.

"Not really. Help me", he implored.

Jenny scrambled closer sat on the bed and grabbed his hand, reassuring him things would be okay and that he wasn't alone.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"At the beginning" he answered. "After the end", he added as an afterthought.

"Okay. I'll tell you whatever I know. You Joined NIS after… after you know what", she didn't want to bring up sad memories, but there was no choice. "I think was around the middle of 1991".

"Then we were on a mission in Europe in 1992. That's when we met. We were on the mission together, we were partners. We were mostly located in Paris" as she explained it all to him, she hoped something would spark a memory.

Unknown to Jenny, it did. The words Paris and partner brought up memories. It was the two of them making love. But he was too ashamed of himself to tell her. He was a married man, and he had carried on with this woman sitting here. He was disgusted with himself.

"Did I ever remarry? Do I have kids?" he asked so he could switch the chain of his thoughts.

"Two ex-wives", jenny informed him, but didn't say anything about children. It was complicated as it was.

Perhaps she was one ex-wife, Gibbs thought, but deep down inside, he knew it wasn't true.

Jenny went on to fill him in about his accomplishments. Then his team. She described them in great detail for him, hoping that they might trigger something.

"Caf-pow", he said suddenly. "Abby loves Caf-Pow".

As he did so, images of Abby, Tony, Ziva, Tim and Ducky bombarded his mind. He could tell that they were important to him, but his memory was still very fuzzy.

Jenny was happy with this progress. She brought out a photo of the suspected person. Only Gibbs could identify him. As he concentrated on the photo, he remembered being in a tiny cabin with him and then the explosion. That agitated him. He knew it was important that he identify the man in the photo, but he couldn't, and it aggravated him. A beeping noise alerted Jenny and the doctors to his spiking blood pressure. Gibbs' head swam. He heard one of the staff order another to sedate him. The last thing he saw was Jenny escorting the doctor outside, looking concerned.

* * *

It was the next day and Jenny was in MTAC. The terrorist attack was imminent now. Gibbs hadn't recovered his memory and was it appeared that it would be some time. They were helpless. The door opened and Gibbs came in telling her to inform the Captain, who was on the screen, to take immediate action and that he had had the photo faxed to him. Jenny was rendered speechless. Gibbs argued with the man, who refused to give in saying it was too late and that they would look bad. It made Gibbs mad that he cared too much about their image and not for the 400 lives at stake. They watched as the ship blew up. Gibbs felt anger boil up. It was enough to make him quit.

Which he did.

Jenny was still speechless. She accepted his request for retirement quietly. Gibbs didn't remember each and everything. There were still holes in his memory. But Ziva had helped him gain enough memory back to help them with the current case. It hadn't worked. As it was, he was still reeling from the shock of the death of his wife and child and there were all these people who seemed to care about him and look up to him. And yet, he wasn't the same man. He needed some time to figure things out. Gibbs knew that he and Jenny had been partners in more than one way, but he didn't know the rest of the story, he couldn't remember it.

Maybe taking time away from it all would help. Time and Mike Franks. The one man who he trusted above all else would help him with it. He said good-bye to everyone. They were all broken hearted. But only Abby wasn't afraid to show her true emotions. She cried. Gibbs didn't like it, but he couldn't stay with so many things on his plate.

Mexico awaited him.


	7. Return

**Chapter 6: Return**

Gibbs was grieving. He didn't remember most of the things that had happened after Kelly's death and Shannon's coma. He knew the people and that was enough for the time being. How had he come to terms with the horrific deaths of his family before, he didn't know. Revenge was his driving force. Night and day, he thought about it. He didn't know anything about the case so he turned to Mike Franks.

"You don't remember?" Franks asked in his gruff voice.

Gibbs shook his head.

"Probie, Hernandez went missing in Mexico. Probably killed", Franks said, but he let the 'probably' hang in there, hoping Gibbs would remember. "No witnesses".

Sure enough, he did. He remembered the shooting. And sighed. At least he'd settled that score.

A week later, most of the memories had come back. But some bits and pieces had yet to fall back into place. Then there were the dreams. Of Jenny. Making love, sunshine pouring through her fiery hair, the sound of her ragged breathing in his ear. His erection throbbing, when he woke from those dreams. He and Jenny had been lovers. But he couldn't seem to remember if they had become lovers again after Jenny had become director. Deep down inside, he knew they had made love, only a few weeks ago. He could even remember some of it now.

Gibbs broke out in cold sweat when another memory resurfaced. It was Jenny's voice.

_'We're having a baby'_. It echoed through Gibbs mind.

He had asked Jenny at the hospital if he had children. She hadn't answered that. But then, he knew he had a son. RJs face was clear in his mind's eye. But he couldn't find a memory of him as a baby, nor any of his many firsts. He tried harder and it all came rushing back. Jenny had left him when she discovered he was married, but not alone, she had taken his baby with her. And Gibbs had found out that he had a son, a few weeks ago. But he hadn't met his son.

Gibbs wanted to rush back to D.C right away, but he knew he was an emotional wreck. Going through the deaths of his wife and daughter again was a horrendous experience. He needed time to recover from it, all over again. Jenny and his son would have to wait a while for him to recover from his emotional scars.

Gibbs spent his days fixing Franks lame excuse of a house. They would drink beer together. Local women flirted with him. It amused him immensely. But his heart beat for a red headed, green eyed witch back in D.C. There were times when he wanted to storm back to his life, to Jenny their son, back to NCIS. But, he didn't think it was fair to them all. He wanted to go to them without feeling any burden or guilt. When he went back, he'd be a new man.

* * *

Ziva was on the run. She figured that the only one who could help her was Gibbs. If only he was here now. She called Abby and swore her to secrecy. Ziva got Gibbs' number from her and dialed. She was glad when Gibbs answered the call. The trouble was, even she wasn't sure how Gibbs would help her out considering he was more than a thousand miles away. It had been a bit more than five months since they had last seen him or heard his voice. But the way his voice was enough to soothe their fears was not surprising.

Ziva sat there in the sanctuary of Gibbs' basement. She knew it was the only safe place she could find at the moment. Eventually, she fell asleep on the old couch in the basement. Ziva didn't know what woke her up. She was greeted by blue fire. She blinked to clear her vision. Intense blue eyes studied her. Ziva jumped and hugged Gibbs really tight. Gibbs looked very different. He had let his hair grow – it was no longer neat and freshly cut, it was shaggy. And he was even sporting a beard. It was definitely not the Gibbs she remembered. Despite that his presence was enough to provide her relief.

Gibbs was dying to see Jenny and his son. But that would have to wait. Ziva needed him at the moment, and he would be damned before he gave up on family. The rest of the team was worried too, but their hands were tied. There wasn't much that they could do. It was up to Gibbs now to stand by Ziva as she had stood by him. Together, Ziva and Gibbs put all the pieces together. They figured out that it was a VEVAK agent trying to frame Ziva with the intent of creating discord between their two governments. Gibbs had to give it to them, the plan was quite sinister but it would have been effective.

Things wrapped up. Gibbs checked his watch, it was afternoon. It would be hours before Jenny would get home. He didn't want to waste another minute. Gibbs headed to the Navy Yard along with Ziva. When he walked into the squad-room, the team saw him, then did a double-take. They could hardly believe their eyes.

"Boss, I mean Gibbs, you're back!" Tony exclaimed.

"Not for long, DiNozzo", Gibbs replied.

"You look…", Tim didn't know what to say to Gibbs without offending him.

Gibbs smiled and nodded.

"McGee, you look good. Hope you haven't been letting DiNozzo run you down" he told him.

Gibbs was getting impatient. He headed up the stairs with the intention of seeing Jenny. In all the excitement, Gibbs missed the look that passed between Tony, Ziva and Tim. Each step took him closer to Jenny's office. His heart pounded with all the excitement as he approached the door. For, perhaps, the first time, he raised his hand and knocked on the door, but as usual, totally ignored the PA trying to stop him. He didn't wait for an answer and opened the door that lead to Jenny's office.

Gibbs opened his mouth to greet Jenny. But his jaw dropped to the floor. It was as if he'd been pushed into a pond with ice cold water.

"If it isn't the immortal Leroy Jethro Gibbs! Thought I wouldn't be seeing you this soon" exclaimed Leon Vance.

Gibbs recovered somewhat from his shock.

"Leon", Gibbs said greeting him.

"Where's Director Shepard? Conference abroad?" Gibbs wanted to know how soon he could catch Jenny.

"Director Shepard has taken an extended leave of absence as of last month, I'm acting Director till her return" Vance explained.

"Extended leave? What for?" Gibbs demanded. He didn't know why he was so annoyed.

Vance thought for a moment.

"It's personal", he told Gibbs, giving him a look that meant the end to this conversation.

Something told Gibbs that Leon Vance was full aware of his and Jenny's past liaison. But it didn't bother him a lot. Gibbs stayed for a few more minutes out of politeness.

When he left the Director's office, he made up his mind to drop in on Abby and Ducky before paying a long overdue visit to Jenny's house. And he might have a word or two to say to his team for not giving him the heads up. As he came down the stairs, he saw Abby run towards him arms open wide, no doubt to hug him.

"Oh Gibbs! You're back! You're back! You're back!" Abby shrieked in delight, throwing her arms around him, as he stepped off the bottom stair. "I missed you so much. They did too!" she pointed at the team, "I'm not letting you go back to Mexico, ever again, 'cause things haven't been the same without you. Director Shep–

"Abby, let the man breathe", Tony broke her off, shaking his head a little, telling her not to say anything else.

Abby stepped back a little.

"Director Shepard?" Gibbs inquired about Jenny.

"I think I heard Major Mass-Spec ding", Abby made an excuse and left.

Gibbs glared at the remainder of the people, his eyes demanding an explanation. Tony took a step closer to Gibbs.

"Boss – uh – Gibbs", Tony thought of what to say to Gibbs, "You'll find her at home, I think".

Gibbs could tell that Tony was nervous.

"Why?" Gibbs asked.

Tony looked the other two for support.

"Health issues?" Tim supplied.

Gibbs was taken aback, he certainly wasn't expecting that. Perhaps Ducky could tell him more. As he headed towards the elevator, Gibbs was sure he heard Tony mention Doctor Gelfand, the doctor who had attended him during his brief stint at the hospital. He had a bad feeling about it.

* * *

The doors to autopsy slid open with a hiss. Ducky turned to see who his visitor was.

"I though you would leave without coming down here", Ducky said, returning to his work.

Gibbs flashed a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"How've you been, Duck?" Gibbs asked.

"Never better", Ducky said.

Both of them lapsed into silence.

Ducky broke the silence.

"Why didn't you tell me, Jethro?" he asked.

Gibbs didn't feign ignorance. He shrugged.

"I couldn't. It hurt too much in here", he put a fist over his chest. "I couldn't bear the looks of sympathy. Not from you guys", he told him honestly.

Ducky seemed to accept that.

"You could do with a shave and a visit to the barber", Ducky pointed out.

"That bad?" Gibbs asked pleasantly and Ducky chuckled.

"Ducky, what's wrong with Jenny?" Gibbs suddenly asked.

Ducky's laughter faded.

"I don't know what you've been told, but last time I saw her, she was doing well", Ducky said.

Gibbs didn't look satisfied.

"It would be best if you went to see her for yourself", Ducky said.

Gibbs nodded. They said their good-byes and then Gibbs departed.

* * *

Gibbs looked towards the door leading into the brownstone. He sat in his car and tried to muster courage to go inside and find out for himself what no one would tell him. He hated that everyone was being cryptic. For the last time, he told himself to move his body and walk into the door. The housekeeper answered when he knocked and let him in. When he asked about Jenny, she told him that Jenny had come home only a short while ago and had went to her room to rest. Despite her protests, Gibbs went up to see her. He knew where Jenny's room was. When he arrived at the destination, Gibbs gently pushed the door open, as if afraid of what he might find.

Jenny stood in front of the dresser, her back towards him. She turned when he walked a few steps into the room. For a second, Gibbs felt immense relief and in surmountable pleasure at the sight of her. Her hair had grown slightly longer than the last time he'd seen her. But she looked like a mess, if he was honest. There were shadows under her eyes, here skin was pale. She looked weak.

"Jethro", Jenny breathed. Her heart began racing. Not even in her wildest dreams had she imagined their reunion to be this way. The baby kicked. Hard. Her hand went to rub the spot where the baby had kicked.

Gibbs didn't miss the gesture. His eyes followed the movement. Jenny could pinpoint the exact moment when her pregnancy became obvious to Gibbs. His eyes went wide with shock. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Gibbs had just been sucker punched.

"I didn't… you're…", Gibbs shook his head and tried again. "They wouldn't tell me why you had taken a time off work".

She didn't have to figure out who 'they' were.

Gibbs was dying inside. He was unable to articulate what he felt. But he had to know. He moved closer to her and placed his hand on her pregnant abdomen.

"Jen, is she mine?"

* * *

**Thank you for sticking with the story and bearing with me. **

**Suggestions regarding Gibbs' reaction would be highly appreciated. And dont forget to review :)**


	8. Back for Good

Previously…

_Gibbs was dying inside. He was unable to articulate what he felt. But he had to know. He moved closer to her and placed his hand on her pregnant abdomen._

_"Jen, is she mine?" _

**Chapter 7: Back for Good**

"She?" Jenny asked.

"The baby then. Is the baby mine?" Gibbs asked impatiently.

"And if I said it isn't?" Jenny asked, entering dangerous territory.

Something flared up in Gibbs' eyes. Jenny couldn't decide whether it was jealousy or rage or something else. Gibbs tilted Jenny's face up to his, so he could look into her emerald eyes.

"Then you'd be a liar", Gibbs voice was steady.

"If you knew, why'd you ask?" Jenny was slightly annoyed.

"I wanted to hear you say it. And I still haven't. So, for the last time. Is the baby mine, Jen?" Gibbs asked. He'd let go of any patience he might have possessed.

"No, Jethro. The baby is ours. Yours _and_ mine" Jenny said emphasizing the 'and'.

Gibbs felt a wave of immense joy and relief wash over him at the words. He didn't know how much he counted on hearing those words. He leaned in and rested his forehead against hers.

Jenny was overwhelmed by his close proximity. She could smell the coffee on his breath and the lingering aroma of Old Spice. The raging hormones wouldn't let her step down. They wanted more. She stood on tip toe and touched her lips to his. Jethro's prickly beard was an alien feeling, but at the moment she didn't mind.

Gibbs' heart went into over-drive. But he wasn't complaining. He loved it when Jenny kissed him. Gibbs took matters into his own hands and started kissing her deeply. He couldn't have stopped if his life depended on it. There was a distant sound, the thud of a door being closed downstairs. It registered in Gibbs' brain.

"Mom, I'm home!" the voice piped up.

Gibbs jerked back. His eyes going wild as he looked at Jenny.

"I'll be down in a minute" Jenny called back.

"You didn't tell me he was here!" Gibbs sounded shocked.

"You weren't here, remember?" Jenny reminded him as she walked towards the door.

Jenny was almost out of the door when she realized that Jethro was still rooted in place. She went back grabbed a hold of his arm and almost dragged him with her downstairs. They heard RJ walking around in the kitchen and Jenny led Gibbs in that direction.

"Hey, mom! You know the doctor strictly ordered you to –" whatever RJ was going to say was forgotten as he laid eyes on his mother's companion.

"RJ, this is –" Jenny began, but was interrupted by RJ.

"Mom, I know who he is", RJ reminded her. Once RJ had arrived in D.C, she had told him about Jethro. But she was surprised that he would recognize him.

"Abby has a photo of him as her screensaver in her lab", RJ explained. "And I think it's time for you to get some rest. He and I can manage fine down here" he pointed in the direction of Gibbs.

_He?_ Gibbs didn't like it one bit. But he was pleased that his son appeared to be okay with his presence. And what was this about doctors and strict orders and rest? He would have to ask Jenny about that one. The fact that RJ appeared to be familiar with the team came as a surprise for Gibbs.

RJ all but pushed Jenny up the stairs. It was as if he couldn't wait to be rid of her.

"You're back? For good?" RJ addressed Gibbs for the first time.

Gibbs just nodded. When he was on the plane, he hadn't quite decided anything. But the minute his eyes had fallen on Jenny again, he knew he wouldn't be leaving. And then RJ and the new baby just cemented that resolve.

"I just want you to know that if you ever hurt my mom, you'll answer to me. Are we clear?" RJ tried to intimidate Gibbs.

Gibbs was amused. He smiled before he agreed.

"I got to say, Gibbs, you looked nicer without that on your face", RJ put forth his opinion.

Gibbs? Dad would have sounded heavenly. But at least the kid wasn't hostile, like a tiny part of him had expected. Gibbs touched his beard, he had to admit that the boy was right. This wasn't him.

"Tony told me you didn't say much. But you haven't said a word. Are you avoiding me or something?" RJ asked. He sounded a bit concerned.

Gibbs motioned with his finger for RJ to come closer. When he did, Gibbs hugged the boy close and kissed the top of his head.

"Never", Gibbs kissed his hair once more before he released RJ. "Before I leave, I'll go say good bye to your mom".

Gibbs had almost just turned to head up the stairs when RJ's panicked voice stopped him.

"But you just said you were staying!"

"I'll be back later when I've tied up a few things" he told RJ and saw him relax.

Gibbs found Jenny in her room. She was sitting on her bed, her feet dangling off the edge. Gibbs kneeled in front of her and took her hand in his.

"Thank you for our son. He's an amazing kid, Jen. Couldn't have asked for a better one" Gibbs told her.

"Oh Jethro! I'm so happy that you're here" Jenny said.

Gibbs stood up, still holding her hands. He bent down and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Jen, I got to go. I'll be back later tonight. There's stuff we need to talk about", Gibbs turned to leave, then stopped as another thought occurred. "Jenny, you think I can stay with you for a few days, my house got an infestation in my absence, needs to be fumigated".

"You don't have to ask, Jethro".

* * *

Gibbs took his time to gather his thoughts. He and Jenny had a son and another baby was on the way. He hadn't thought of getting married again. But the situation was different now. Gibbs wanted the baby to have his name. And he wanted the same for RJ, but he'd have to talk to Jenny about that one. In all honesty, the children weren't the only reason he wanted marriage. He was deeply in love with Jenny, if he was honest, there wasn't a time when he wasn't. Gibbs and Jenny had something going for them, even if she refused to acknowledge it. On a whim, Gibbs went shopping. He found a ring that caught his attention. He didn't waste a second in purchasing it. As he pocketed the precious cargo, he tried to figure out how and when to ask her. As Gibbs passed by a window, he caught his reflection in the glass. And he really saw himself for the first time in months. The kid was right, he had seen better days. The next stop would definitely be his barber.

With the ring, and a few more important things out of the way including the visiting the barber, Gibbs headed to Jenny's house. It was late when he let himself in. Everything was quiet. He was making his way up the stairs silently when suddenly the door to Jenny's room opened and Jenny came out tying the belt of her robe.

"You're back!" she exclaimed, as if she hadn't expected it. Then she noted the lack of facial hair. "You're really really back. But you're pretty late. RJ was disappointed when you didn't come back".

"Taking care of stuff. Jen, it's pretty late. We'll talk tomorrow. You get some sleep. I'll take the spare room", Gibbs told her.

An hour later, Jenny didn't know why she was feeling so disappointed and let down. Maybe it was the hormones. She felt like crying. What had she expected? That Jethro would jump into bed with her? She didn't know what she wanted. The baby wasn't helping matters either. He or she was really practicing their kicking in there. Jenny got up and walked to the spare room where Gibbs had stationed himself. It was reminiscent of the time when she and Jethro had made the baby all those months ago. When she pushed the door open, she was shocked to find that the room was empty. Jenny's heart sank. He couldn't have left, could he? Jenny walked down the hall and was thinking of checking downstairs when she passed by RJs door and noticed that it was slightly open. She pushed it farther and walked in. Jenny had not expected to find Jethro in there. He sat on the edge of RJs bed and watched him sleep.

Gibbs felt her presence before he actually saw her. She came to a stop near him and placed her hand on his shoulder. Gibbs didn't look away from the sleeping form of their son. He raised his arm, took hold of Jenny's hand and brought it over to his lips to place a kiss on it. He didn't let go of her hand and kept it in place. Then he raised his eyes to meet hers.

The cerulean depths carried unfathomable emotion. Jenny's heart ached for him.

"Je–", Jenny began, but she was cut off by Jethro.

Gibbs looked at the sleeping form of RJ once more and got up, still holding Jenny's hand. He led her out the room and closed the door behind them. As soon as they were in the clear, Jenny threw her arms around him.

"I'm sorry", she cried, as she felt his arms go around her.

"Jen, don't", he told her.

"I should have come to you", when RJ was born, she meant and he understood.

"Jen" he warned again. The past was dangerous territory. And he didn't want to go there again. His recent trip was more than enough.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what's gotten into me", she wiped a tear as she pulled away from him.

Gibbs smiled.

"I might have an idea", he said as he splayed a hand on her belly. "He will be mine from the minute he's born".

"So, it's a 'he' now?" Jenny asked as she started walking towards her room, Gibbs following closely behind.

"Equal opportunities?" he proposed. They were now in her room. "Shouldn't they be able to tell if we're having a boy or girl by now?

"Actually, they should. Had the scan last week. The baby was being uncooperative. It doesn't surprise me the least bit. The baby is yours after all"

Gibbs chuckled.

"Jethro, what if it's a girl this time?" Jenny asked, giving voice to her uncertainty.

Gibbs gave her a look that suggested that he didn't understand what she wanted to know.

"With you losing your daughter, would it be a problem for you?" she articulated.

Shadows of sorrow clouded his eyes.

"Kelly. Her name was Kelly", he said. "I… Their… Until the bomb, I hadn't spoken their names out loud. It's difficult. But I'm trying".

Jenny had slumped onto her bed by that time. She pulled him down with her and put her arms around him, wishing it would take away some of the hurt.

"The baby can be whatever it wants to be, I would love it regardless. It's our baby" he assured her. "Second chances are hard to come by. And I am incredibly lucky that I got one with you, RJ and the baby".

Jenny gasped. Gibbs' head jerked up at the sudden sound. Jenny rushed to reassure him.

"The baby is really active tonight. Here," she grabbed his hand and placed it slightly to the side of her belly.

"Incredible", Gibbs expressed his delight. Then he remembered something from earlier. Something he wanted to ask Jenny.

"Jenny," he waited till he had her attention. "Earlier today, RJ mentioned a doctor. And you've taken an extended leave from work. It's pretty early for that. Something going on?"

Jenny looked down towards their hands.

"Doctors orders. No stress, plenty of rest. Jethro, after the last time, there might be trouble".

"Last time? With RJ" Gibbs asked.

"That too" Jenny told him.

He didn't appear to be satisfied with the answer.

"A couple of weeks ago, I had vaginal bleeding. Enough to cause a scare. I wasn't going to take chances, especially after the scare when I was pregnant with RJ".

"Tell me. From the beginning", Gibbs prodded.

"With RJ, it was trouble, almost from the beginning. I left you, I wasn't sure what I wanted. I thought an abortion might be the answer. I looked up a clinic and made an appointment".

Jenny felt Gibbs' hand tighten on hers. She went on.

"I went as far as the operating table. Right before they knocked me out. That's when I realized what the baby really meant to me. That it was the only part of you I was ever going to have. Anyway, I left. I was terribly sick every day. Things progressed easily enough. That was the calm before the storm"

She paused again, as if reliving that instant.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked. He wasn't happy with any of it, but at least he knew this story had a happy ending. RJ was sleeping in the other room.

"I was 32 weeks pregnant. There was a sudden gush down my legs. First I thought my water had broken. But when I saw it was blood, I started panicking. At the hospital, they told me it was a placental abruption. And if they didn't get the baby out, he might not make it. That was the scariest thing I ever heard. I thought I was being punished. For sleeping with someone else's husband, for considering an abortion"

She smiled ruefully at the memory.

"But things went well", Gibbs pitched in. It wasn't really a question

"I wish it was that easy. They did an emergency C-section. I was out for some time. When I woke, the baby was there. But he was 8 weeks early. There was some trouble. But we survived. He was in the hospital for 6 weeks before we were able to take him home. Those were the longest weeks of my life, wondering of he would make it or he would abandon me, too"

"I should have been there for you, for RJ", Gibbs said when Jenny had finished.

"It wasn't your fault", Jenny told him.

"Can it happen again?" Gibbs asked, concerned.

"There is a possibility. But nothing is concrete. But with the scare two weeks ago, I wouldn't bet on it being a smooth ride", Jenny tried to make light of it. But even she could sense Jethro's unease with the situation.

"Jen, if anything happened to you or the baby or RJ, I don't I would survive. I can't go through it again. Not for a third time – the amnesia made sure I lived through a nightmare again" he added when he saw Jenny's surprise when he'd said 'a third time'.

"We're all in this together" Jenny assured him. "No matter what happens, this time round, we won't be alone".

But Gibbs was not placated. He was still worried. This time, he was sure that if things went South, he wouldn't hesitate pulling the trigger.

* * *

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	9. Scare

**Chapter 8: Scare**

The idea of the spare bedroom was dropped. Gibbs laid down on the bed facing Jenny. Something in his trouser pocket poked, reminding him of its presence. Only then did he remember the ring. Casually, he took it out, grabbed Jenny's hand and slipped it on.

"Jethro!" Jenny couldn't hold back her surprise. "It's not –", but Gibbs silenced her with a kiss.

"It is important to me. If I am going to stay here in this house, in this bed with you, the ring stays. I don't need an answer right away. I'll be patient. And I promise not to push. But the ring stays", there was finality in his tone.

"Branding me, Jethro?" Jenny teased.

"If I did, you couldn't have been more mine, than you already are", he pointed out.

This whole gesture made Jenny too happy. But it wouldn't have hurt one bit if he'd told her that he loved her. Jethro was Jethro. All thoughts left her brain as he began removing her clothes and she lost her self in his touch.

* * *

The next couple of weeks passed without incident. If one could call Gibbs' reinstatement at NCIS an incident. Gibbs was quite surprised when he was told that he had a week's worth of personal time remaining. Jenny had been devious. She hadn't filed for Gibbs' retirement. Just accrued leave. In retrospect, Gibbs thought it had been the best move. NCIS was his life. Things went on and it felt that the three of them were a real family. Except, RJ was adamant on calling him Gibbs. And Gibbs hated it, but he didn't push it. After all, he had just popped up in the boy's life. He had to earn the title of 'dad'. Soon, he'd have another problem. His house was almost ready to be inhabited again. As much as he loved to live with Jenny and their son, there was no way Gibbs was getting rid of his house. It held too many precious memories of his daughter and Shannon. The house had been there home. Where Kelly had been conceived and born. Each nook and cranny had volumes to tell. Kelly had taken her first steps in that house, she had spoken her first word there. Gibbs had made her a swing set, which he had installed in the garden for her, it was no longer there. The house was a memory chest and no way was he going to part with it.

The week flew by and Gibbs was back on his desk. In addition to answering to a new director, there was also a new SecNav. Tony was on a classified mission, things were hush hush. What Gibbs disliked most was Tony's mission. He didn't know what it was, but he knew it was dangerous and would put Tony into harm's way. He detested that thought. Tony was family. They were all his family, and he didn't want any of them to be hurt.

Also, things weren't the same without Jenny around. He couldn't see her all the time. But anything for her and the baby's safety. Gibbs called her multiple times a day to check on her. One day Jenny called him while he was at work to inform him that she wasn't feeling very well and that he should pick RJ from school. The declaration was enough to get Gibbs' heart rate going, until Jenny gave him her solemn pledge that she wasn't physically unwell, just tired and needed to rest. But he wouldn't believe her until he saw it himself. Before picking RJ, he made a short trip home, to check on Jenny himself, not that he didn't trust the house keeper – who was given express orders even if she thought something was going to go wrong. Gibbs picked RJ from school, but brought him to the Navy Yard instead of taking him home.

It was evident from RJ's interactions with Gibbs' team that not only was he familiar with them, but they were also on great friendly terms. Surprise surprise, RJ and McGee were gaming buddies. Gibbs was okay with that, but he wasn't sure how Tony fit in. He didn't think he would like it if Tony was teaching his son how to score with women, not at this young age anyway.

Ducky had something for Gibbs, so he told RJ to stay put and went down to autopsy. It was nearly half an hour before Gibbs was able to get back to his desk. When he did, Gibbs saw that his seat was already taken up by RJ. He was deeply engrossed in his sketch pad. Gibbs would have loved to stare at his son for ages, but there was work to be done, so he took out some change.

"Hey, son, go get yourself something to eat", he told the boy handing him the change.

RJ placed the sketch pad on the desk and grabbed the money.

"Can I get soda?" he asked.

"Knock yourself out", Gibbs told him ruffling his hair. He watched as RJ vanished out of sight.

"Boss, you think I can get one of those instead of a smack", Tony asked innocently.

He was a rewarded by a glare.

"Shutting up now", he said sheepishly.

Gibbs picked RJs sketch pad and opened it. Only the first few pages had been used. The content surprised Gibbs. He saw familiar faces and incidents fitted into a comic strip. He saw himself, Tony, McGee, Abby, Ziva, Ducky and Palmer as they solved their cases. Jenny was also present in some of the frames. It made Gibbs smile. Perhaps, Tony and McGee had told RJ about their adventures and they had turned into a wonderful comic. Gibbs was really impressed.

Before Gibbs went home to Jenny, he and RJ made a detour to his house. An idea nagged at the back of Gibbs' head. He had to get the new project started, and tonight seemed like a good time to make sure he had supplies. The sun hadn't set and they still had daylight. Gibbs told RJ to find something to do while he went down to the basement.

A bottle of bourbon stood on the table from the last time he'd visited. There was no way he'd be caught drinking by his impressionable son who could come down any minute. While he was down there, Gibbs debated whether to build a rocking chair for the nursery first or whether to make a crib for the baby. He had only a few months before the baby arrived. He'd try to finish both before that. He figured a rocking chair would be a good start. When Kelly was born he had made plenty of stuff for her including a dresser. Gibbs felt a pang of sadness. He hadn't been given the same chance when RJ was born. And he felt terrible about it.

"GIBBS!" RJ called

"Down here", Gibbs called back.

RJ appeared at the top of the stairs. Gibbs threw a cloth over the bottle of bourbon to hide it from RJ.

"Things were really quiet. I thought you forgot all about me and left", RJ joked

"Nah", Gibbs gestured with his hand. "You're not forgettable".

RJ didn't say anything to that. He walked over to the table that held the various tools and jars containing nut, bolts and assorted nails. He was quite fascinated with the whole thing. RJ's gaze fell on a photo. He had seen photos of various people pinned up behind Gibbs' desk. But there was just the one here and it seemed personal.

"Gibbs," RJ waited till Gibbs looked at him. "Who are the two people in the photo?"

Gibbs didn't know how much Jenny had told RJ. He started there.

"What did your mom tell you about me?" Gibbs inquired.

"That you're my fa–", he broke off. "That you and she worked together in Paris, before I was born. You couldn't be with us. Wouldn't say the reason, though. And then about the bomb on the ship and your memory loss. And, I forgot this one – you were a marine".

"Am a marine. No such thing as ex-marine", Gibbs corrected.

No matter how many times Gibbs had been over this the past few months, it was still an open wound. He sat down on the work-bench and thought of what to say to RJ. Surprisingly, it only took a few seconds.

"Shannon," he pointed to her in the photo "was my wife. We were married long before I joined NCIS, it was still NIS back then. We had Kelly. They were killed in a car crash. Kelly died instantly and Shannon a while later at the hospital".

Gibbs didn't elaborate the reason behind their murder. Neither did he tell RJ that Shannon was alive – technically – when he and Jenny were partners and RJ was conceived. That would be a story for another time. RJ didn't say anything. Silently, he stood up and hugged Gibbs. Gibbs was taken aback. The kid refused to refer to him as father, but was comfortable enough to hug him. Gibbs was grateful for that.

"It's time we went home. Mom might be worried", RJ told Gibbs.

Gibbs nodded in agreement.

* * *

Gibbs' phone rang late at night. The sharp trill woke him up. He answered before it would wake Jenny and God knew, she needed all that rest. She was beginning to look haggard since the last couple of days. Tony had been shot in the dead of the night on that accursed mission. He didn't hear the rest. It was one of Gibbs' fears come true. He jumped off the bed and started getting dressed in a hurry. All that flurry woke Jenny.

"Jethro, what happened?" she asked, still groggy with sleep.

"It's Tony. He's hurt, Jen. I have to be there", he kissed her good bye and hurried away.

All through the drive, he hoped whatever wounds Tony had sustained weren't serious. His mind kept going back to the time when Tony got infected with the pneumonic plague. Once he got there, his relief was monumental at learning that Tony was okay. He was shot at, but he escaped, fell down, hit his head on the sidewalk and got a concussion. He was conscious at the moment, but they were keeping him in for observation.

"Hey, boss", Tony sounded like his usual self when he greeted Gibbs.

"DiNozzo, heard you whacked your head", Gibbs returned.

"Not just my head", he looked meaningfully towards the nightstand where a badge lay. "That's not mine, I may or may not have shot another NCIS agent".

Gibbs just glared.

"I don't remember", Tony finished miserably.

Gibbs called Ducky in the hopes that he'd be able to help Tony uncover the mystery. Gibbs had called Jenny to let her know that Tony was okay and that he'd be staying with him at the hospital until the mystery shrouding the events was solved. It was midday and they were still getting nowhere. All they knew was that it was related to Tony's secret mission. That wasn't much, because the top secret file was another thing that was eluding Tony. He remembered everything else that happened between the months that he'd seen the file and yesterday, but these details were very fuzzy. Through the course of the day, Ziva, Tim and Abby had popped by to check on Tony. Jenny wanted to come too, but Gibbs wouldn't hear of it.

Gibbs was feeling the strain. Tony's helplessness was adding to it. Despite the fact that he knew Tony was okay, it still weighed down on him. He felt like a failure because he'd failed to protect a member of his own family. Again.

It was late when Gibbs arrived home. RJ had gone to bed. He assumed, Jenny was asleep too and planned to slip in unnoticed. He was just settling in under the sheets when Jenny spoke.

"How was Tony holding up?" she asked.

"He's doing good now that he remembers everything", Gibbs told her.

"And you? How are you holding up?" she asked him.

"Jen, how do you do that?" he asked, amazed.

"Do what?" she asked.

"Know what I'm thinking"

"I know you. I know what makes you tick. It's not that difficult, y'know. C'mere", she told him as she pulled him in for a hug.

As she rubbed his back, he untied her robe and carried out his own inspections.

"I swear, Jen, the baby has grown bigger in the last twenty-four hours", Gibbs said as he rubbed his hand over Jenny's belly.

"That's just your arrogance talking, Jethro", she said playfully.

"But you love me anyway" Gibbs answered before swooping down and taking her lips in a fierce kiss.

Before they knew it, they were making love. It had gotten a bit difficult with Jenny's burgeoning baby bump, but that didn't stop either of them from enjoying each other.

* * *

The next day was a bad one for Gibbs. It was Saturday and he'd come in when he received a call. He had an uneasy feeling. Tony had decided to take the next two days off. Gibbs called him to make sure he was okay. Then he called to check on Jenny and RJ. Things were okay with all three of them. And he knew the rest of them were okay because he'd just been down to Abby's lab, to Ducky in autopsy and Tim and Ziva were in his line of vision. But he still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. There wasn't much they could do at the moment. He decided to call it a day. When Gibbs arrived at Jenny's house, he heard faint voices from the direction of Jenny's bedroom upstairs, something twisted in his gut. He took the stairs two at a time and hurried to Jenny's room. He inhaled sharply at the scene in front of him. There was a small blood stain on the sheet and RJ kneeled in front of her, fear evident on his face. Gibbs practically ran towards them. No child should have to see this, so he sent RJ downstairs to get water for Jenny.

He made sure RJ was gone before he addressed Jenny.

"What's wrong, Jenny?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I'm bleeding again, Jethro. Started about 10 minutes ago. I didn't know what I was going to do. Thanks God, you're here", she cried.

Clearly, Gibbs wasn't a pro with these situations. He called Ducky. When he put the phone down, Gibbs had gone pale. By that time, RJ was back as well. Gibbs was scared for Jenny and the baby. Fear clawed at his stomach. Bleeding was not a good sign especially with Jenny's history. If it was bad for him, he was unable to comprehend what Jenny had gone through, was going through to bring his child into the world.

"Right. We're going to go to the hospital. Ducky will meet us there. I'm not going to sit around waiting for an ambulance", he told them.

They drove in silence. RJ was too quiet, fearful of the situation. Gibbs was relieved when saw Ducky waiting when they arrived. As Jenny was taken in on a gurney, Gibbs appraised Ducky of the situation. He could see that Ducky didn't seem too pleased with the knowledge. Another bad sign. The trio waited in the designated area while the doctor examined Jenny.

Gibbs saw the doctor signal him to come inside Jenny's room. He told other two to stay put as he rushed over to meet her.

"How're you doing, Jen? And the baby?" he asked sounding frantic. The questions were aimed at the doctor more than Jenny. He held Jenny's cold hand in his tightly.

"Ms. Shepard was bleeding. It wasn't severe. I've examined her and it's not what I feared initially", she paused and saw Gibbs pale even further. She rushed on to assure him. "It's nothing dangerous. Ms. Shepard was bleeding vaginally. It's not uncommon. Sometimes, the pregnancy hormones change the surface of the cervix and that causes the bleeding especially if one engages in sexual intercourse. I suggest that you abstain from all sexual activity for a while", she finished.

Gibbs paleness had been replaced by redness. He felt Jenny's hold tighten on his hand, as if reassuring him.

"The baby will be okay?" Jenny asked.

"Things appear to be perfect. However, with your history, we'll do an ultrasound to be absolutely certain. For the time being, the baby doesn't appear to be in any distress" the doctor informed them.

Gibbs asked a few more questions. The doctor left and Gibbs went to Ducky and an expectant looking RJ.

"Gibbs, is she gonna be okay?" RJ asked as soon as Gibbs came to a stop close to them.

"Absolutely", Gibbs told the boy as he squeezed his shoulder affectionately.

"Duck, we'll be here for some time. They need to run a few tests. Take RJ home, stay with him till we get back", he instructed his old friend.

Ducky was going to say something but Gibbs motioned for him to stay quiet in front of RJ. Ducky gave a curt nod and steered RJ away. When they were gone, Gibbs went to Jenny's room.

"Jethro, I was so scared", Jenny said as soon as he reentered the room, "what if something happens to the baby?" She remembered Jethro's words from a few weeks ago when he'd told her that if anything happened to the three of them, he wouldn't be able to live through it.

He strode to her bed, sat down on it and held her cold hand in his.

"It's going to be okay. You and the baby will be okay", he told her, but deep down inside, he knew he was trying to soothe his own fears as well.

He didn't want distance between them. Gibbs took off his shoes and laid down on the bed, holding her and soothing her fears. Right now, he didn't want to think about things that could go horribly wrong. Gibbs rubbed Jenny's distended belly. That's how the nurse found them a few minutes later when she came to check Jenny's vitals and to inform them about their ultrasound.

Jenny lay there, belly exposed as the technician held the device over it. Gibbs sat by her side, holding her hand tightly. They had just begun. All of a sudden the room was filled with the sound of the baby's heartbeat. Gibbs was overcome. It was his first time. At least, it was his first time with his and Jenny's baby. Jenny was filled with relief. The technician moved the wand a bit and they had a clear image of the baby. Suddenly, Jenny had a thought.

"Can you tell the baby's sex?" she asked the technician.

"Let's see", she answered, as she moved the wand around a little. "You guys ready?"

Gibbs straightened up a bit and Jenny craned her neck.

"You guys are having a baby girl, congratulations", the technician told them.

Jenny looked over at Gibbs and was surprised to see tears glistening in his eyes. She lifted her hand and wiped them away.

"Are you okay, Jethro?" she asked, suddenly fearful of Gibbs reaction to a baby girl.

"Jen, I'm so happy. That's our little girl" Gibbs assured her.

The technician left them after informing them that the doctor would go over things with them. Both Jenny and Gibbs were back in the hospital room. They were in a state of euphoria and in Gibbs' case a little disbelief as well. The doctor told them that things were perfect. She wanted to keep Jenny in for the night for observation, but Jenny was hesitant. The doctor made them both promise that Jenny would stay off her feet and on complete bed rest for the next two or three days before they left.

When they arrived home, they updated Ducky on the situation and he agreed on the bed rest part as well. RJ was apprehensive and still scared. They ordered dinner and the four of them ate together. RJ went to bed, rather he was forced to go to bed and then Ducky also left.

Jenny changed her clothes and brushed her teeth while Jethro changed the sheets. When she came back to the room, she found Jethro sitting on the bed with a fearful expression on his face and looking miserable.

She went and sat next to him, taking his hand in her own.

"Oh, Jethro, it's going to be okay", she tried to comfort him.

"Is it?" he asked.

* * *

**Thank you for sticking with the story. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


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